The Tide is High
by capricapra
Summary: Bella watches her close friend Edward go from one relationship to the next, never managing to find the right time or words to tell him that she loves him. Will she ever get the chance? When will it be her turn? M for lang/lemons. Mostly BPOV with occasional EPOV in later chapters. Nominated for The Lemonade Stand Fic of the Week!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Welcome to my new story, **_**The Tide is High.**_** The title comes from the Blondie song of the same name.**

'_The tide is high but I'm holding on  
I'm gonna be your number one  
I'm not the kind of girl who gives up just like that  
Oh, no_

It's not the things you do that tease and wound me bad  
But it's the way you do the things you do to me'  


**This story will be considerably shorter than my last story, **_**The Sun Rises Every Day**_**, and a bit faster in pace. I hope it doesn't disappoint. **

**In **_**The Tide is High**_**, Bella and Edward are international corporate lawyers. I actually have zero experience of the corporate law world so have done my research via Google and Wikipedia. If I've made any glaring mistakes, I apologise if there are! Also, this story has no beta reader, so if there are any horrible spelling, grammar or syntax mistakes, please let me know. **

**Thank you in advance for reading and sorry for the long Author's note!**

**I do not own Twilight or any of its original characters. I wish I did!**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 1**

"Bella! Bella! Over here!"

Angela, my best friend from school, was waving at me from across the crowded train station in her university city of Leeds.

"Ang!" I pushed my way through towards her and gave her a big hug. I hadn't seen her for over six months, not since we returned to our universities in September, just after my birthday. I had spent Christmas in Italy with my parents and paternal grandparents (my Grandma Marie was Italian), so missed out on our traditional Christmas get-together.

"It is so good to see you! How was the train journey?"

"Not bad, for once!" I replied. "Only three hours and one change!"

"Good!" We linked arms and she led me through the concourse and towards the exit. Once out, she steered me towards a bus stop and within seconds we were sitting on the back row at the top of one of Leeds' many double-decker buses.

"So what's all the gossip from Cambridge? How's Eric?" Ang asked me animatedly. My heart sank. I was hoping to avoid telling her about Eric until we were back at her house and had big glasses of wine in our hands. Eric and I had been together for over four years, since our last year of high school, and had gone to Cambridge together- him to Jesus College, me to Emmanuel.

"Cambridge has been pretty intense this year." I admitted, avoiding the subject of Eric momentarily.

No shit. I had lost track of the number of all nighters I had pulled so far in this, my final year of studying Politics and International Relations. I loved my subject and studying at one of the most famous universities in the world had been a great experience, but I was looking forward to leaving. The trouble with going to a university like Cambridge- it was like living in a pressure cooker. From the start of the university year, the stress and pressure built and built until finals, when it got to everyone and the whole place turned crazy. I was actually quite envious of Angela's much more relaxed university experience.

"I don't doubt it." She replied.

"It does seem to have paid off, however." I added.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Um, I'm on course to graduate with a First Class Honours degree."

"Bella that's amazing!" Angela exclaimed.

"That's not all. I got a place at City of London Law School to start in September with full sponsorship from Volturi, Denali and Ireland. I'm going to get my graduate diploma in Law, Legal Practice Certificate and Masters in Public International Law, before joining them on a training contract."

"Oh my God!" Ang squealed, causing the old ladies in front of us to turn and huff in disapproval. She jumped up and squeezed me tightly whilst bouncing in her seat. "That's so great!"

"Thanks!"

"Volturi, Denali and Ireland! I know shit all about the law world but even I know they're like, one of the biggest firms in the country! How did you swing that?"

"I met them at a careers fair in October and they encouraged me to apply. I had an interview with them just after Christmas and got the place a few weeks ago."

Angela was about to reply when she glanced out the window.

"Oh crap, this is our stop!" She pressed the stop button and pulled me to our feet. We almost went flying as the bus driver put on the brakes. "Come on Bella!"

We jumped off the bus and a few steps later, we were at her front door.

"You live ten feet from the bus stop?" She nodded and grinned. "Convenient." Leeds was a huge city compared with to the much smaller Cambridge so I had been prepared for lots of walking.

We were soon having tea and jam doughnuts around her kitchen table.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She asked. "About law school?"

"I wanted to tell you in person, plus not everyone has taken the news well." I explained quietly.

"Who? Eric?" I nodded, a stray tear escaping from my eye as I remembered just how badly my now ex-boyfriend had taken the news. I rubbed my face and turned away from her.

"Bella," Angela began, placing a finger under my chin to tilt my face back towards her gently. "What's happened with Eric?"

"We split up."

"Why?" She asked, taking my hand.

"Things have been difficult for a while. It was killing him to see me do well when he was struggling just to pass his Maths course. Me getting the contract with Volturi, Denali and Ireland was the last straw."

"Who dumped who?"

"He dumped me in the end. I would have done it sooner or later, but I think it was more important for him and his ego to do the dumping, so I let him."

"Oh Bella." She looked at me with sympathy and I didn't want that. I had realised over the six months preceding our break-up that we were heading that way. I wanted to forget all about it now that it had happened, and move on to the next phase of my life.

"Ang, he's the past. London's my future." I told her.

"You're right!" She got up and grabbed the mug of tea out of my hand before tipping it down the sink.

"Hey! I was drinking that!" I shouted. Ang grinned at me and pulled out a half-full white wine bottle from the fridge.

"I think your good news deserves a proper drink!" She exclaimed, before pouring the contents into two giant Ikea wine glasses. "To my best friend Bella, future super lawyer!"

"To my best friend Angela, for knowing exactly what I need!" We clinked classes and took big gulps of wine before heading upstairs to get ready for a night out.

-cc-

"So where are we headed?" I asked Angela as we left her house, dressed up for a night out in tight flared jeans and sparkly tops, with high heeled sandals. I had only recently mastered high heels after much coaching from my flatmate at Cambridge, Alice, so I was hoping that I wouldn't stumble and fall in front of Angela and her friends.

"The Students' Union Terrace Bar for a couple of drinks. Ben's going to meet us there for a while, but then he's going out with his Economics friends whilst we're going out for Thai food and to catch this great cabaret show. If we feel like it then we can meet up with Ben and his mates again later."

That sounded to me like a great night out. Angela was always so organised- she'd probably had this itinerary planned since the moment I invited myself up three weeks ago- the day after Eric dumped me. We were also going shopping and to a couple of art galleries the next day, and were having brunch on Sunday.

"Perfect."

We walked for about ten minutes, out of the little maze of Yorkshire stone terraced houses where Angela lived and into the huge university campus. It was so different from Cambridge, which was a collegiate university- small college and faculty buildings spread across the small city. Leeds had the biggest student population in the UK and was buzzing with activity, whereas Cambridge had a much smaller student number and was a lot more sedate.

The Terrace Bar was massive- my whole college could probably fit in here. As it was only 6.30pm, the bar wasn't too busy.

"Right Angela, what are you having?" I asked, putting my hand down first on the bar so she couldn't try to buy the first round.

"Bella!" I narrowed my eyes at her. "Fine. I'll have a Pinot Grigio." She replied, deciding not to argue.

"Two large glasses of Pinot G please!" I asked the bartender. He gave me two glasses and the bottle before asking for the cost of two glasses of wine. I turned to Angela confused.

"If you buy two large glasses, you get the rest of the bottle for free." She explained, and started to pour. Wow. I was really starting to like Leeds.

"Angela!" Ben, Angela's boyfriend since her first semester at university, came up behind us and goosed her waist. "God, you look amazing tonight, Angel!"

"Hey Baby!" She kissed him softly.

Angela had adored Ben from the moment she laid eyes on him, on their first day at university. They were neighbours in their halls of residence and she came over to introduce herself. However, he was a little shorter than her (5'7" compared to her 5'10") and she had always been very self conscious of her height. It took them until Christmas of their first year to get together and they were still blissfully happy now, over two years later.

"Hi Ben, good to see you again!" He gave me a friendly hug and kissed me on the cheek.

"Great to see you too. Ang has been really looking forward to you coming. It's all she's talked about all week!"

"I'm really happy to be here! The perfect way to celebrate!" The bartender appeared again and Ben quickly ordered a pint of Carling.

"Celebrate what?" He asked.

"Bella just got a place at law school, and a training contract!"

"Oh wow! Congratulations." He gave me another friendly hug. Like Angela, Ben was freely affectionate. "Which school and firm?"

"City of London Law School, and the firm's called Volturi, Denali and Ireland." I told him. I guessed that if Angela had heard of the firm, he would have too.

"No way! That's brilliant!"

"Thanks."

"That's actually a real coincidence too." He added, taking a sip of his lager. "My good friend Edward- he's another economist- he's also got a place at City of London, and is also being sponsored by Volturi, Denali and Ireland. You may well get to meet him. He said he was coming tonight."

"That'd be cool. It would be nice to know one person before I start there!"

Angela, Ben and I continued chatting for a while. It was a pretty warm night considering it was mid-March and we went out onto the large open terrace, which overlooked some massive glass-fronted modern buildings. It was great to catch up with them both. They had decided to stay in Leeds after graduation. Ben wanted to become an economics lecturer so was applying to do a Masters degree followed by a PhD. Angela had a place to train as an English teacher after finishing her English degree. They were also planning to move in together. I was so pleased for them. They seemed so happy.

Just as we were finishing up our drinks, Ben's phone chirped with a text.

"Oh, it's Edward, wanting to know where we are. I'll tell him to come out here."

"Actually, let's move inside, Baby. It's getting a bit cold now." The wind had picked up and Angela was shivering slightly.

"OK."

We moved inside and there was a free table not far from the bar. Just after we got there, Ben started waving at someone. I turn to see a tall figure making his way towards us. He was tall and lean, dressed in a tight dark green t-shirt with the University of Leeds logo across the chest, and a black and white football appliquéd onto the left sleeve, mid-blue low-rise slightly baggy jeans and black trainers. However it was his face that really got me. This guy was more than handsome. He was _fucking beautiful_. Spiky wild bronze hair, pale skin with a dusting of freckles over his straight nose, piercing almond-shaped green eyes and a sharp, angular jaw line came together to make the most perfect male face I had ever seen, topped off with a knee-weakening slightly offset, full-beam smile. As I realised he was coming towards us, that this was Ben's friend Edward, I clutched the side of the table. Holy fuck!

"I had that reaction too, the first time I met him." Angela whispered into my ear. "He's a really lovely, down-to-earth guy though."

"Edward! Hey!" Ben shook his hand firmly.

"Hey Ben, how's things?" Edward asked in a voice as silky smooth as melted butter. I was glad I had the table for support.

"Great thanks!

"Angela, how are you?" He leant across and planted a soft whisper of a kiss against her cheek. In that split second, I was super-jealous of my best friend.

"Really good, especially now that Bella's here!" She gestured to me. "Bella, meet Edward Cullen. Edward, this is my best friend Bella Swan. She's visiting from Cambridge."

"Cambridge huh?" He held out his hand and I felt those green eyes travel over me, causing a blush to crawl over my skin. I started to shake his hand but he turned it over and leant forward to kiss it very softly. "Lovely to meet you Bella. Italian for 'beautiful.'" I nodded dumbly and he smiled broadly."Well, it's a very fitting name!"

I could feel my ears burning and was sure I was bright red. I actually wasn't anything special- five foot four inches tall, long dark brown wavy hair to my waist and brown eyes with pale skin that didn't tan well. I was a bit skinny with only a modest cleavage, although I was lucky to have quite long legs and a bit of booty on me. However, in that moment, Edward Cullen made me feel like the most beautiful girl on Earth.

"Nice to meet you, Edward." I tilted my head downwards to take a sip of wine and to calm down my blush.

"So what do you boys have planned?" I heard Angela ask.

"Nothing special. Us Econ-geeks are having a few pints here, and then going for a curry. If we're up for it, we may continue the drinks in the Hyde Park pubs." Edward said, referring to one of the suburbs of Leeds that bordered the university campus. It wasn't surprising therefore, that it was full of students and student-orientated pubs and restaurants. "What about you ladies?"

"Oh, we're going for Thai food in the city centre, and then we've got tickets for a cabaret show." Angela replied. I managed to look back up, satisfied that my blush had calmed down.

"The one in The Carriageworks?"

"Yes."

"Oh, you'll have to let me know what it's like. I'm thinking of taking Victoria for her birthday."

"Will do." Angela poured the last of the wine into both our glasses. I was going to have to take a break from drinking until we'd eaten something. I could feel my head spinning slightly.

"So Edward, I was just telling Bella and Angela about how you're heading to London for law school in the autumn." Edward's face lit up.

"Oh, I cannot wait! I love Leeds but now that I've decided what I want to do with my life, I'm itching to get on with it!" He replied enthusiastically.

"Which area of law are you interested in?" I asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I guess, with an economics background, that commercial law would be sensible. But they haven't asked me to choose a specialty for my Masters yet, so I've got time to decide."

"That's great."

"What about you Bella, what do you study at Cambridge? Are you a final-year as well?"

"Yes, I'm in my final year too. I'm reading Politics and International Relations at Emmanuel College."

"Actually, Edward, Bella is going to City of London Law School in the autumn as well."

"Seriously?" The rest of us nodded. "How great. It'll be nice to recognise someone on the first day!" He held up his hand for a high-five, which I happily gave him. Anything to have skin-to-skin contact with the hottie.

"Likewise." I countered. "Ben also mentioned that you have a training contract with Volturi, Denali and Ireland. I do too."

"Double cool!" He beamed at me, and it warmed me through to the bone. I glanced away again in order to prevent the warmth from turning into another embarrassing blush.

"Hello all!"

The warmth running through me halted in its tracks at the unfamiliar female nasal voice, tinged with an overly-posh accent. I looked back to my friends and Edward to see that we had been joined by a very tall, thin girl with tight red Medusa-like curls cascading over her shoulders, and piercing blue-grey beady eyes. She had a long face and high cheekbones, which made her look very aristocratic, even though she was dressed in a slightly slutty purple satin corset top, skin-tight flared jeans and silver strappy stilettos, with a black sateen cropped jacket finishing the rather aggressive look.

"Hello Darling!" Edward turned to the girl and kissed her softly. As he pulled away she pulled him back towards her and kissed him hard. It was more possessive than passionate. "Oof, what was that for?" He asked, taken aback slightly.

"I missed you!" She replied, adding a sickly-sweet tone to her voice. I instantly disliked her and it was more than just jealousy that she was blatantly Edward's girlfriend. She looked mean.

"Missed you too!" He chuckled. "I thought you were going to your parents' tonight."

"Mummy's got the flu, and Daddy's decided to go shooting with his pals so there's no point!"

"So you're going to come out with us?" He asked. She glanced over at Angela and me briefly and her eyes narrowed.

"I thought you were going out with the boys?" Her voice held a hint of accusation.

"He is. Bella and I are heading into town." Angela replied. "Bella, this is Edward's girlfriend, Victoria. Victoria, this is my best friend from school, Bella."

"Hi." She responded tersely before turning sickly-sweet again. "Would you mind if I borrowed Edward for just a minute?" She linked her arm through his and started pulling him away from the table without waiting for a reply.

"Err, back soon!" Edward cried as Victoria dragged him away towards the bar.

"Guess he's not coming for curry then!" Ben didn't sound impressed.

"I'm sorry Baby." Angela wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled into him. "And now Bella and I are abandoning you as well."

"We could hang around if you want." I offered.

"No it's OK. The other guys will be here soon, and you don't want to miss your table." Angela kissed his cheek before letting go.

"Only if you're sure."

"I'm sure, Baby Doll. I'll see you in the morning for brunch." They kissed once more before breaking apart so that we could move on.

"See you Ben."

We put on our jackets and headed off for the rest of our night out. As we left the bar, I glanced back to see Edward and Victoria in a full on make-out session in a corner of the bar. I sighed to myself. He was certainly going to make law school interesting, with or without the stuck-up redhead.

-cc-


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hello and welcome to the second chapter of **_**The Tide is High.**_** I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and that you like this one too. **

**I'm hoping to post weekly but with my crazy work schedule it may occasionally be fortnightly. Reviews= previews!**

**I do not own Twilight. I wish I did! **

**Chapter 2**

London life and law school were mad. The school was in the heart of the City and all of us students lived in halls of residence or shared houses in East London, the nearest area with affordable housing. London was a bloody expensive place to live. Some of us lived exclusively with law students but most shared with other students from other University of London affiliate colleges.

There were only forty students in my class so we got to know each other really well, really fast. I was rather overwhelmed at first, by the sheer number of different things to see and do. It was a non-stop whirlwind of lectures, projects and essays during the day, and drinking, dancing, meals out and hob-nobbing with senior students and lawyers during the evening.

I saw Edward daily in class and at least three times a week socially. Having thought he was very outgoing when we first met in Leeds, I realised that he was actually quite reserved. However, when he was comfortable with the people around him, the boy could talk for England! He was passionate about the law but not geeky about it. He adored nearly all sports but it was football and tennis that he loved the most and he played both regularly. He was on the law school football team and after three games became their star striker. He was still with Victoria but when she came down for the weekend, we hardly saw Edward at all. She was not well liked by any of Edward's flatmates or friends, including me.

Christmas came and went. Upon our return to school in January, we found out that our work-groups had been mixed up. In the first term we had worked in groups of four, split alphabetically by surname. Now, we were working in randomly-assigned pairs on a big project on advocacy for the next 8 weeks. My stomach flip-flopped wildly when I read the name of the person I had been paired with. Edward Cullen.

"Howdy Partner!" I felt Edward's strong arm around my shoulder and his spicy, woodsy scent enveloped me. I had to suppress a knee-buckle.

"Hey!" How was your Christmas?" I asked, whilst trying to avoid blushing. I was getting better at it, but if I was surprised with an Edward-appearance like now, bang! Tomato-face! I told him once that I had a mild form of something called Idiopathic Craniofacial Erythema in order to explain my ridiculous blushing. I didn't really (I Googled it), but it stopped him and the others constantly pointing out my frequent red faces.

"Hmm." His normally smiley face turned all frowny. "A bit stressful." He put on a fake smile after that. "I won't bore you with all that though." He pulled out his diary. "We ought to meet up to get the ball rolling on this project." Clearly he wanted to change the subject so I let him.

"Yeah, why don't you come round to mine this evening? I'll throw together some dinner and we can brainstorm around the kitchen table."

"Your flatmates won't mind? Whatshisname, Jacob? And that emo girl- Bree is it?"

"Bree's moved out. She suddenly quit her media studies course, no explanation." I replied. "Jacob may join us for dinner but he won't linger. He's working tonight at Smiths."

Jacob, my other flatmate, was lovely. He was at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry in East London, and was half-way through his five-year dentistry degree. He was tall, dark, handsome, and we got on like a house on fire. As well as my crush on Edward, I also had a good-going one on Jake too. He had worked his tail off to get into dental school as his family didn't have much money and he had to supplement his measly student loans with a part-time job at Smiths, a local bar and restaurant.

"Fab! I love your cooking! See you later!" He placed a smacker of a kiss on my cheek before lolloping off towards the common room. I gave myself a second to swoon before heading towards the library.

Over the next couple of weeks, Edward and I met nearly every day to work on our project. The stakes were high as the project was worth 30% of the year's final grade, but I have to say, we made a great team. Edward was hard-working and diligent but could be stubborn with his ideas, pushing to make them work even if they had flaws. I was more cautious, wanting to think things through and iron out kinks in my arguments before incorporating them. However, we soon developed a good working relationship.

By Valentines' Day we had finished the first draft and were beefing up our arguments with evidence. Edward had gone away for the weekend and was coming round to mine on the Sunday when he returned to London. I had told him to just come over whenever he was ready but was surprised when he turned up at 9am. I was only just dressed and had been making coffee. We still hadn't got a replacement flatmate for Bree and Jake was home visiting his parents in Wales, so I was home alone.

Edward, quite frankly, looked like shit. He was exhausted, with black circles under his eyes, lank hair and two days' worth of stubble on his chin. I had never seen him with stubble of any kind before. He was always totally clean-shaven.

"Jesus Edward! Please tell me you're just terribly hungover."

"I wish." He huffed, as he followed me into the kitchen. He rested his forehead against the kitchen table and banged it a couple of times before looking up. "Weekend from hell." I poured him a cup of coffee from the cafetiere. He didn't smell his usual fresh self and his hoodie and jeans were wrinkled.

"When did you get back to London?"

"Just this morning." He replied.

"Have you had any sleep at all?"

"Not really. I thought I'd just come here straight from the station." He gulped the scalding hot coffee. "But I don't think that was the best idea. I'm going to be next to useless today."

"Hmm." I took the coffee from his hand and put it down on the table before pulling him to his feet. "Follow me."

I led him upstairs.

"Bella, what...?"

"Wait here." I left him on the landing for a moment whilst I grabbed a spare towel, disposable razor and toothbrush before raiding Jake's room for a clean pair of boxers, sweats and t-shirt. I then shoved them into Edward's hands. Jake wouldn't mind. If he saw Edward in his current state, he'd have done the same. "You'll feel better after a shower and shave. Help yourself to anything in the bathroom. When you're done come downstairs and I'll have breakfast ready. Then you can spill about the weekend."

"That's really kind but..."

"No buts. You're a mess and a shower will help you feel better."

"I should really stop arguing shouldn't I?" She smiled his best crooked smile at me.

"Yes." I told him firmly.

He emerged 20 minutes later, clean shaven and smelling of Dove soap as well as his own scent. I had made a huge pile of pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, and banana smoothies. It was the breakfast I always had whenever I was feeling down.

"Fucking hell, Bella, this looks delicious!" His stomach growled loudly.

"Thanks. Dig in!" I told him, plonking a plate and cutlery in front of him. We ate in silence for a minute or two.

"So, I suppose you want to know what's been happening." He said quietly, as he took another two pancakes from the stack.

"Only if you want to tell me." I replied nonchalantly, although I was actually desperate to know.

"Victoria and I broke up."

"Oh. I'm guessing it wasn't a clean, mutual thing."

"Nope. She basically told me at Christmas that she was sick of the long-distance thing and wanted me to switch to law school in Leeds."

"But if you did that, you'd lose your sponsorship with VDI." Volturi, Denali and Ireland, although they had branches all over the world, only sponsored British trainees through the City of London Law School.

"Exactly. I told her I'd think about it, but since Christmas she's been relentless. It's the only thing she's talked to me about."

"So what happened this weekend?"

"I told her that I wasn't switching and that the best I could do was to request a place in the Leeds branch of the firm when I graduate."

"And that went down like a lead balloon, I'm guessing."

"Oh it was horrific. She shouted and screamed for ages. Then when I suggested she move down here she spouted some bullshit about London stifling her creativity."

"I'd have thought that a budding graphic designer would want to be somewhere as buzzing as London."

"Exactly! By this time it was 2am. We hadn't gone for dinner or anything. I was so pissed off that I told her our relationship was over, grabbed my stuff and went to the station to wait for the first train."

"Do you want it to be over?"

"I do. I'm sick of her selfishness and the way she looks down at people she considers less wealthy or less 'refined'. Her word, not mine. We've been drifting apart since before I even moved to London."

"How long had you been together?"

"Three years. I broke up with my high school girlfriend Chelsea a couple of months into my first semester at Leeds, and got together with Vic that Christmas."

I leant across and gave him a hug. He returned it and for a moment we just stayed there, me with my head tucked against his neck, him with his arms around me, his warm breath tickling my ear. He let go first.

"Thank you, Bella. You're great."

"Anytime, Edward." My blush was creeping across my face again, so I picked up our mugs and got up to refill the coffee. "Now, do you think you're up for some work or shall we just slob out on the sofa and watch the crap on MTV?"

"MTV!" Edward flashed me his 100-watt smile again before turning back to his pancakes.

-cc-

It didn't take long for word to spread that Edward was now single, and it seemed like every day, one or another of our female classmates was attempting to flirt with him. However, with three weeks to go until the project was due in, the only girl Edward was spending time with was me. I could no longer deny that my feelings for Edward were no longer platonic but he never gave me any indication that he felt the same way.

Jake on the other hand, had started becoming a lot more affectionate. Every time he left the house I got a hug and a kiss that was getting closer and closer to my mouth. When we were watching TV, he often draped his arm around my shoulder and played with my hair. I liked it when he did that, and I liked it when he touched me. It wasn't the knee-weakening electrical spark that I got with Edward but it was warm, comforting and soothing.

The day before the project was due in, Edward and I were proof-reading the project in one of the private study rooms within the Law Library before doing the final print.

"I think...dare I say it...we are done!" He exclaimed.

"I think so too!"

"Yes! High five!" I tapped his hand enthusiastically. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a big hug, and he didn't let go for ages, the hand he had on my back curling into the ends of my hair. "Bella, you have been brilliant to work with, and such a great friend. I can't thank you enough." He let me go and kissed me very softly on the forehead. My cheeks, unsurprisingly, coloured.

"Right back at you Edward. I murmured softly. I looked into those green eyes of his and just for a moment, I thought he was going to lean back in to kiss me. If he was, it wasn't meant to be. We were interrupted by his mobile phone ringing, which totally changed the atmosphere.

"Hi...no, we're nearly done...yes I'm coming to football tonight...tomorrow night? Sounds like a great plan...I'll ask her too...OK, See you!" He hung up, grinning.

"Everything OK?"

"Yeah that was Garrett." Edward replied, referring to one of his flatmates. His other flatmate was an Irish girl called Sarah. "Everyone's going out tomorrow after the official project hand-in. You're gonna come, right? It won't be the same without you!"

"Sure, of course." My heart started hammering at his compliment.

"Why don't we go together?" Hang on, was he asking me out?

"Err...yes that sounds like a great idea!" I could feel my heart thrumming away in anticipation.

"Ace. I'll come round with Sarah and Garrett around 7pm. Apparently some of the course leaders are going and they usually shout everyone a drink or two!" My heart sank. Not a date, just buddies travelling together. Happy face Bella, happy face.

"Yeah, perfect." I agreed, putting on a fake smile. "Now we'd better get to the printers!"

I couldn't go on like this. I was dreaming and daydreaming about him. I was really distracted and it was messing with my head. I made a decision as we stood in line at the print shop. The next night, I was going to tell him how I felt.

-cc-

Edward looked fierce in a tight, crisp blue shirt, dark wash jeans, tan leather belt and shoes. He had complimented me on my dark green wrap dress but then got called over by some of the senior students he played football with. We ended up being seated at opposite ends of the table at dinner, me next to Jessica, another first year student, and Randall, one of the second years. Edward was next to Kate who was Jessica's flatmate, and Stefan, another second year who spent most of his time glued to his Blackberry.

We moved on from the restaurant to a couple of bars, and on to a club in Soho. I ended up continuing to chat to Jessica, who talked, a lot. She was a nice girl, albeit a little superficial. She was the same height as me and naturally very pretty with a cute turned-up nose, hazel eyes and mid-brown curly hair that had blonde highlights. She was much curvier than I was. The girl was all T+A. After Jessica went to chat to Kate and Sarah, I made my way to the bar. I finally got the bartender's attention and ordered myself a vodka and lemonade. As I went to pay, I felt a shiver. Edward had come up behind me.

"I've got it!" Edward handed a £10 note to the barman. "And a pint of Kronenberg as well please."

"Edward, you didn't have to..."

"Shush Bella." He put a finger to my lips. "Let me buy you a drink, please?" I was so caught up by the sensation of his warm fingers on my lips that I just nodded. "Good." He removed his finger.

"How's your night going?" I asked.

"Really cool! I'm so pleased that the project's done, although I will miss you!" He exclaimed, placing a large hand on my arm. I gulped.

"Um...you will?"

"Sure I will! You've been so great to work with! You made it so easy to do that fucking huge project, and the way you've taken care of me, well, I'll always be grateful." He enveloped me in a massive hug. "You're such a great friend and I'm so lucky to have you in my life."

"You're a great friend too, Edward." I whispered against his chest. He let me go but kept holding my hand. I could see that he was quite tipsy although he wasn't quite at the slurred speech, leering and lurching stage.

"Say, do you want to dance?" He asked, gesturing to the dance-floor. I cringed. I was a really self-conscious dancer, unless I was really drunk, and I wasn't quite there yet. I really didn't want to make a fool of myself now. What I really needed was a time-out to get my head together. He was sending me so many mixed signals.

"Maybe later? I need the ladies' room."

"OK, but I'm gonna hold you to that dance, Swan!" He kissed my cheek before navigating his way to the centre of the dance-floor where Kate, Jessica, Sarah and a few others were already dancing.

I escaped to the loo and whilst there, checked my phone. I had texts from Alice and Angela, both asking about meeting up now that the project was over. Alice was my closest friend from Cambridge, and was now in Edinburgh, putting her mathematics degree to good use by training to become an actuary. Angela loved her teacher training course. I promised to visit Alice in Edinburgh in a few weeks' time and told Ang to get her butt to London next weekend. I downed the rest of my drink, then spent a couple of minutes psyching myself up to go back out there and dance with Edward, and maybe then let him know that my feelings for him were more than friendly.

I walked back out into the crowded club. The bass was thumping with some sexy garage beat, and suddenly I felt ready to put myself out there. I navigated my way to the bar which was on a little platform, so that I could locate my friends and Edward on the dance floor, which was heaving. I scanned the crowd, and after a few moments spotted a familiar head of penny-coloured hair. I was about to head over when I realised that there were arms wrapped around his neck. Frozen, I watched in horror as he turned round to reveal the girl in his arms. It was bubbly, pretty blonde Kate, and he didn't just have her in his arms, he was kissing her as well.

Crushed and feeling very stupid, I decided not to stick around any longer. I strode towards the exit and left the club. Of course he didn't fancy me. What was I thinking?

-cc-

I managed to successfully avoid spending any length of time with Edward over the next month. I was friendly when we did talk, but I didn't ask about the thing with Kate and he didn't tell me anything. I also managed to avoid hanging out with the students in my class as we were heading towards exams and so had fewer lectures and more free time for studying. All the study material was online so I mostly stayed at home to do my revision.

Jacob continued to be really attentive and affectionate. I realised that I was soon going to have to address his obvious interest in me- to either nip it in the bud or to go with it. I did really like him. He was good-looking, straight talking, funny and really intelligent. Most importantly though, I always knew where I stood with Jake, and I definitely couldn't say that about Edward.

On my way home after the last day of teaching before our Exam Week, I stopped at the local supermarket to make dinner. I was getting really stressed about the impending assessments and needed comfort food. My mother had emailed me Grandma Marie's lasagne recipe and I was planning to make a huge batch for me and Jake with garlic bread and salad.

Just as I was picking up some bell peppers for the lasagne meat sauce, someone tapped me on the shoulder, the last person I wanted to talk to.

"Hey Bella! How's things?" Kate asked me, her basket containing a pot of fat free yoghurt and a pineapple. She was super-healthy and jogged five miles every morning.

"Fine. Just a bit stressed about next week's exams."

"God me too!" She ran a hand through her shoulder-length honey-blonde hair. "But I've got a more pressing issue- I have one very hot guy coming round for dinner and have no idea what to make!" She peered into my basket. "What are you making?"

"Um, lasagne."

"Oh, that's too much work. He's coming round in an hour!"

"Well, what about chicken and mushroom fettuccine? It shouldn't take you more than 15 minutes to throw together, and I happen to know that Edward loves mushrooms." Kate's mouth dropped open.

"Bella, it's not Edward! I'm seeing Garrett!" Now it was my turn to have an open mouth.

"But I thought...that night out when we went to that club in Soho..."

"Oh, yeah we had a drunken cheeky kiss, but we both agreed the next day that it felt wrong, so we agreed to just stay friends." She explained. "I was just dancing with Edward to make Garrett jealous, and the kiss was just an accident. Plus, it worked. Garrett got mad, we had a fight and then we, um made up! We've been together ever since."

"That's great. Good for you." My poor confused heart soared with hope. Edward wasn't going out with Kate. "I'm sorry about assuming. I've been a bit out of the loop recently."

"No worries. Everything's all good now. I'm going out with Garrett and Jess is going out with Edward, so we're all happy." The hope sank back into oblivion.

"Sorry, Edward's going out with Jessica?" I asked, needing to make sure I heard it right.

"Yeah. She was really mad with me as well after that night, doubly so when I let it slip to Edward that she liked him. She was mortified because she thought he was out of her league but he rang her up and asked her out three days later." She smirked. "So now I'm forgiven by all."

I felt doubly stupid. One of the reasons I always held back from letting Edward know how I felt about him was that same reasoning. I thought I was out of his league too.

"That's sweet." I hoped to God that I sounded appropriately positive without sounding like I cared too much.

"Yeah. So what about you? Any guys on the horizon?" I blushed at her question.

"Well, I've been flirting a bit with my flatmate Jake, but I don't know if anything will come of it."

"Ooh, he is hot! I thought you might have a bit of a thing with him. You go Girl!"

"Thanks. I'd better get going actually."

"Sure, me too. Thanks for the recipe idea."

"No worries. Bye!"

"Bye Bella!"

I finished my shopping, went home and started cooking. Once the lasagne was in the oven, I curled up on the sofa with a cup of sweet tea and checked my Facebook for the first time in ages. Sure enough, there it was in my News Feed.

_Kate Daniels is in a relationship with Garrett Granger._

_Edward Cullen is in a relationship with Jessica Stanley._

I closed the screen and finally let the tears fall. Tears of frustration, tears of heartache and tears of stress. I had just finished my cry-fest when Jake came barrelling in.

"Hey Bells! What's happening?" He took in my tear-stained face. "Oh Shit! Hey, beautiful, what's wrong?" He sat down next to me and took me into his big strong arms. I most definitely didn't want him to know about my turmoil over Edward.

"Just a stressful day, exams etc etc." I snuggled into him. I thought, not for the first time, about how easy it was being with Jake. _Fuck it_. I leaned up and softly kissed him on the mouth. "Thank you for being there for me." I whispered against his lips.

"Anytime." He murmured, kissing me back gently. "Bella, for you, anytime, anywhere, anything."

Edward confused me at every turn. Jacob had done nothing but support me. From then on I stopped resisting and just let Jacob adore me.

-cc-


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Wow! Such an awesome response to the first two chapters! Special thanks to the people who reviewed and those of you who have added me to favourites or alerts! **

**I hope you like this chapter too!**

**I don't own Twilight. I wish I did! **

**-cc-**

**Chapter 3**

Four years at law school went by in the blink of an eye. Come April of my final year, Jacob and I had been together for three years. We stayed living together, but moved from the shared student flat into a small but lovely apartment in a converted warehouse in Wapping, East London. Once I committed to Jake, I was able let any lingering feelings for Edward go. It was easy as breathing being with Jake. We were best friends, flatmates, lovers...he had become my everything.

Jake and I were both graduating in a few months. For my two-year initial trainee contract, I had been assigned to Volturi, Denali and Ireland's main headquarters near Liverpool Street Station in the heart of London's financial district. I was going to be working in their International Capital Markets department. After two years trainees like me would be interviewed for associate lawyer positions, the next rung on the ladder.

Jake was yet to find a job for after graduation, unfortunately. London produced far more dental graduates than there were entry-level jobs, so competition was fierce. The stress of final exams and the prospect of unemployment were stressing him out but other than being a bit distracted, we appeared as solid as ever.

Jake and I were good friends with Edward and Jessica, and saw them socially on a fairly regular basis, along with Kate and Garrett, and a few of the other lawyers and their spouses. However it wasn't the same as in our first year, when Edward and I were studying together on that advocacy project. I had distanced myself a little, not just from him but from all the lawyers; it was too intense, working so hard and then socialising with the same people. I now had a network of friends in London who were non-lawyers who I'd met through Jake or through the ladies' basketball team I'd joined in order to keep fit (after I put on seven pounds the first Christmas Jake and I were together). I was a bit of a disaster on the court but we only played for fun so nobody cared that I was a klutz.

Edward and Jessica seemed very happy together. Edward was a very attentive boyfriend and Jessica lapped it up. Edward, like me, had also been assigned to Volturi, Denali and Ireland's main headquarters (we often called it VDI for short) but was going to be working in their Mergers and Acquisitions department. Jessica, who didn't have the sponsorship of a corporate law firm, was going to be working in Employment law in a smaller firm in the West End. She and Edward still lived with the same flatmates they'd started out with, but upon graduation were planning to move in together. Kate and Garrett were now engaged and were also moving in together after graduation.

Two weeks before Easter, I was frantically trying to finish up my last assignments and essays before hitting the books before my final exams, which were happening just after Easter weekend. Jake too was cramming hard. His exams were in a month. We hadn't gone out in ages, or made love, and for the first time ever, there was a bit of tension between us as the stress of finals invaded our home. The telephone started ringing and I got up to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hi Bella." It was Jake's older sister Rebecca. "Is Jake there?" Jake was standing in the doorway, listening.

"Hey Becs." Jake shook his head and gestured that he'd call her in a while. Jake and his sisters tended to argue a lot and he liked to psych himself up to talking to them. "He's kind of in the middle of something. Can he call you back later?"

"Actually it really can't wait." She sounded very distressed. "Please, Bella. I really need to talk to him. It's urgent." There was a pleading tone in her voice that I couldn't dismiss.

"Hang on a minute, OK?"

I cupped my hand over the receiver end.

"What?" Jake whispered.

"She says it's urgent Jake. She sounds really upset." He rolled his eyes before the taking the phone from my hands.

"OK, beautiful." He walked into the living room and shut the door.

A minute later I head Jake exclaim,

"Damn it Becs, why didn't you tell me last night? No, I'll come straight down!"

He strode back into the kitchen and slammed the phone down on the base. His face was red with distress.

"Jake, what's happened?" I jumped up to hold him. He let me for a moment but then moved away.

"It's Dad. He had a stroke last night!"

"Oh my God? How bad is it?"

"He can't talk Bella, and he can't move his right side!" He cried. "Shit! He's only 53. He's too young for this!"

"Are you going home?"

"Yeah, as soon as possible."

"OK, well I'll start packing. There should be a train to Cardiff we can get in a couple of hours from Paddington..."

"Bella, I'm going to go alone." He interrupted me quietly.

"Oh. You don't want me to come?" I replied, taken aback.

"Nobody knows exactly how bad things are yet, and I don't know how long I'll need to be down there. There's no point in both of us flunking our exams."

"You think I'm going to be able to do anything here except worry about you?" I countered.

"Bella, please. Dad wouldn't want you to see him like that. I need to be there. You don't." That really stung. Wasn't I supposed to be supporting my boyfriend at a time like this?

"Jake..."

"Bella I don't have time to argue about this. I'll call you when I get there and know what's going on." He didn't let me say any more before dashing upstairs. I sat at the kitchen table with my head in my hands. It didn't make sense. Why was Jake pushing me away?

He came downstairs with a hastily-packed holdall in his hands, kissed me on the cheek and flew out the door. I moped around the house for the rest of the day, checking my mobile phone every thirty seconds and eating every scrap of chocolate I could find. By 8.30pm I decided to climb into bed, and was snuggling against Jake's pillow when my mobile phone went off.

"Jake?" I answered, not bothering to check the screen.

"No, guess again!" I heard the voice of Alice, my best friend from my time at Cambridge.

"Hey Al!" I tried to prevent disappointment from creeping into my voice but failed miserably.

"Sorry I'm not your hunky boyfriend!" She joked. "Where is he anyway?" I burst into tears. "Oh, Bella, sweetie, what's wrong?"

Through my tears and snivels, I told her what had happened. She was appropriately sympathetic. Feeling selfish for hogging the conversation when she had rung me, I asked her about her news.

Alice, perhaps less enthusiastically than normal given my mood, told me that she had been head-hunted to a new actuarial firm in London so was moving down in a couple of months. I let out an almighty big squeal- it was the best news I'd heard in months. Alice was brilliant at predicting the potential outcomes of business deals and ventures for her wealthy clients based on her meticulous risk calculations. She had probably saved them millions, so it was no surprise that she had been head-hunted by a larger London-based company.

We talked for another twenty minutes before she ended the call to go out partying. She was quite the social butterfly. Alice always made me feel better. I fell asleep hopeful that everything would be all right.

-cc-

Sadly, things didn't become all right. Jake ended up staying in Cardiff for two weeks and in that time we only spoke twice on the phone and exchanged a few texts. The stroke had affected his dad Billy's ability to talk, so that he could understand what was being said but couldn't find the words to say the right things back. He also couldn't move his right leg at all and only had a small amount of movement in his right hand. He was still in hospital having intensive physiotherapy and speech therapy, and it could be months before he made significant improvements.

When he returned, Jake apologised profusely for the lack of communication but remained oddly distant. He made love to me just once, desperately, like a dying man, and every time he looked at me, he looked scared. It left me feeling very apprehensive. I tried to channel my nervous energy into my final exams, and the pair of us became like passing ships. I took exams and studied all day, and tried to get eight hours of sleep at night. Jake, on the other hand, was nocturnal and slept all day, and then studied all night in the 24-hour library on his campus.

I was supposed to be going to visit my older brother Peter and his wife Charlotte in Rome for two weeks after my exams finished. Peter was a financial executive for an international airline, and as he spoke fluent Italian, he had been assigned to work in their Italian headquarters. Charlotte had been an Italian teacher when they lived in England, and now taught conversational Italian or English to airline employees. They had been out there for two years but with the demands of law school and their erratic schedules, I'd never managed to visit.

When the time came, however, I was really worried about leaving Jake. He was now in the middle of his exams, but still going back to Cardiff every chance he could, and still refusing to let me come with him. He had lost weight, he wasn't sleeping properly and he was irritable all the time. When I told him that I was thinking about postponing, Jake did not react well.

"For fucks' sake Bella! You don't need to change your plans! I'm fine!" He shouted.

"But..."

"When did you get so smothery anyway? You keep fussing like a mother hen!" His eyes were blazing. Why was he so angry with me? My own temper flared.

"Well sorry for caring about my boyfriend and his family! I'm trying to support you and you just keep pushing me away!" Angry, pathetic tears fell from my eyes.

"Look, beautiful, I just need a bit of space, OK?" He replied more gently. He came up to me and wiped my tears away with his thumbs. "Go to Rome, see your big bro. By the time you come back, my exams will be over, I'll have a much better idea of what's going to be happening with Dad and my head will be less of a shed."

"If you're sure..."

"Yes, I'm sure. Now go pack. You've got a plane to catch." He kissed me hard before leaving.

So I went to Rome. It was such a beautiful place and I could see why Peter and Charlotte had fallen in love with the Eternal City. Peter was very well looked after by the airline, and had a subsidised luxury apartment just off Campo de' Fiori, a beautiful square in the centre of the old city, that held a bewildering daily market of flowers and fresh produce. My brother and sister-in-law were able to take a week off to spend showing me round Rome and Vatican City. They also took me further afield, to the world heritage sites at Tivoli to see the Villa D'Este and Villa Adriana, and on to Lucca, in Tuscany, where our grandmother Marie was from, to spend the weekend with our great-uncle and second cousins.

I was mostly on my own for the second week of my stay in Rome, and spent it immersing myself in Roman culture. I explored the Pantheon, the Colosseum and the Roman forum whilst eating amazing gelato. I wondered around museums and art galleries. I went window-shopping in the designer stores around the Spanish Steps. I practiced my slightly rusty Italian by chatting to the stallholders in the Camp de' Fiori and in the local cafes. I cooked for Peter and Charlotte using fresh ingredients from the market. I read books I'd been meaning to read for years in the gardens of the Villa Borghese. It was heaven. Practically the only thing I didn't do was talk to Jake. We texted a couple of times but I gave him the space he asked for.

When I returned to London after my fantastic holiday, the apprehension I felt about Jake and our relationship returned. I told myself not to worry but as I walked through the door of our flat to see him sitting at the kitchen table, every bone in my body was vibrating with anxiety.

"Hey." I began tentatively.

"Hi, Bella." He replied in a shaky voice. "Good holiday?"

"Yeah, great." I set my suitcase down and sat opposite him at the table. "How are you?"

"I'm...I'm OK. Could be better." He looked at me for the first time and took my hand. "Bella, we need to talk."

"Nothing good ever comes from those words, Jake." I hoped he would dissent that statement. He didn't.

"No, nothing does." He took a deep breath. "I'm moving back to Cardiff."

"OK...?" Deep in the back of my mind, I wondered if this might happen.

"Dad is recovering very slowly but he's always going to be in a wheelchair, and it's too much for Mum to cope with alone. My sisters can only do so much with their jobs and their kids."

"What about work?"

"My Uncle Josh has offered me a job in his dental practice. It's got flexible hours and a great salary, with the option of becoming partner if I want, later on down the line. Plus Uncle Josh is going to train me to do restorative dental work as well."

"Exactly the job and training you want." I commented before asking the question I was most scared of hearing the answer to. "What about us Jake?

"Bella, you know I love you..."

"So what, we do a long-distance thing?" He shook his head.

"No. You and I both know that once you start working that hugely demanding job at VDI, you are going to have no time at all to spend to-ing and fro-ing between here and Cardiff, and neither will I."

"So what, we're breaking up?" Tears started falling from his eyes and mine too, as he nodded.

"Bella I love you so much but something's missing. Since I realised it, I've found it harder and harder to ignore. Being with you is so easy and if Dad hadn't got ill we could probably plod along for the rest of our lives being content, but never truly ecstatically happy."

"Could it just be that the stress of exams and your dad being ill is just clouding things?" I could hear the desperate tone in my voice. "Jake, I don't want to lose you."

"Bella I don't want to lose you either, but if you were honest with yourself you'd admit that I don't make you feel that burning, nervous, excited, magical attraction thing. I mean, that's why it took you so long to respond to my advances, isn't it?" He was right. I'd never, ever told him (or anyone else) of my attraction to Edward, who had made me feel exactly the way Jake described. As much as I loved him, Jake had never made me feel that way. "Admit it Bella."

"OK, so it wasn't exactly like that, but we've worked for such a long time!"

"It's just not enough anymore. You're always going to be one of the most beautiful people in the world to me, and my best friend, but I can't be anything more." He had a determined look on his face and I knew that he was not going to budge on this.

"So when are you going to move out?" He didn't answer right away and a guilty look flashed on his face. "You've already moved your things haven't you?" I realised. He nodded.

"I thought it would be easier to do it while you were away."

"You knew you were going to break up with me before I left for Rome, didn't you?" Again, he nodded.

"I hope you'll forgive me in time, Bella. I wanted our break-up to be as clean as possible."

"Very clean indeed Jake. Nice of you to cut my heart with a knife instead of tearing it apart." I retorted, more tears escaping from my eyes. He stood up.

"I'm sorry, Bella." He kissed my wet cheek and walked out the front door.

-cc-

After Jacob left, I was a basket-case. The flat felt so empty without Jake's clutter and the bed felt so cold. I didn't see anyone and I didn't answer my phone. I looked over our photos and cried buckets.

A week later, when I was in the middle of watching Pride and Prejudice (the Colin Firth version, most definitely the best one) for the 50th time, trying to restore my faith in love and in men, there was a loud knocking on the door. I ignored it at first but it became relentless.

"What?" I asked rudely as I opened the door.

"Charming welcome, Bella!"

It was Alice, along with Seth, who was my other best friend from Cambridge. After graduating with a degree in Natural Sciences, he had bummed around travelling for a year, much to the annoyance of his stuffy parents. He then pissed them off further by telling them what we had known since the moment we met him, that he was gay. They had effectively disowned him, which he was fine with, and moved up to Leeds to take a job with a large pharmaceutical research company.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as I hugged them.

"Well after you didn't answer your phone for days and days I called Jake."Alice explained. My face fell.

"I didn't realise that you had his number, or that you'd use it." I whispered.

"Sweetie, why didn't you tell us?" Seth asked.

"I don't know. I just can't believe he's gone." I burst into tears again.

"What happened, exactly?"

"Sethy, tea and cake first, talk later!" Alice exclaimed, holding up a white box that smelled of vanilla and strawberries. "Victoria sponge cake with Chantilly cream and strawberries!" She announced proudly. They took tea and cake very seriously in Yorkshire, where Alice was from.

After two cups of strong tea and a huge slice of cake each, I managed to tell them everything. At the end they both wrapped me in their arms and held me, enveloping me with their friendship and love.

"That out-of-this-world thing that he was talking about Bella, it will happen for you, one day. That magic spark." Alice told me hopefully.

"Yeah? You don't think that it's something out of a fairy tale or romance novel?" I replied. The memory of seeing Edward for the first time popped into my head.

"No. Not at all." She sounded resolute.

"Don't get cynical on us now Bella Swan." Seth added. "You're the most hopeless romantic in the world. I'll bet that you've been watching Pride and Prejudice or Romeo and Juliet or some other ridiculously sentimental period drama on DVD!" I blushed. "Ha! Knew it!"

"Now, let's get you into the shower and dressed. We're going for a swanky dinner at _J. Sheekey_ followed by cocktails, and then we're having a sleep-over at my new place!" Alice pulled me to my feet.

"Alice, you've moved down already?"

"Yep. I was owed four weeks' holiday, so I took them and quit early. My new company found me a really cool apartment in Shad Thames and let me move in yesterday."

"Cool!" I exclaimed. "Sethy, how long are you down for?"

"All week if you want me to be."

"Yes. Yes please!"

"Great! Let's hit the town, girls!"

-cc-

Things got a lot better after Alice and Seth's intervention and by my first day at VDI at the beginning of July, I had picked myself up, dusted myself off and started getting used to life without Jake, although there were days when I did miss him terribly. Four years of generous sponsorship from Volturi, Denali and Ireland and careful budgeting as well as a graduation bonus meant that I could still afford to live in the Wapping flat by myself. I really didn't want to move. Alice's new apartment was just across the river, and most of the rest of my friends, the lawyers and the non-lawyers, lived within a one-mile radius. Plus on a nice day I could walk to work.

"Hey Bella! Long time no see!"

No sooner had I walked into the conference room for our first day induction, than I was swept up into a big hug by Edward. I tingled with long-suppressed sparks of desire and want for him. It seemed that my body was ready to move on from Jake, probably more so than my mind.

"Hey Edward." He looked great in his dark grey pinstripe suit and silver tie. He was all tanned as well. "Been on holiday?"

"Yep. Jess and I went sailing round the Greek Islands for two weeks."

"Lovely. And how's your new place?"

"Ace! It's not far from you actually, near St Katharine's Docks." Not far indeed. It was less than half a mile away.

"Great, and how's Jess?" I asked, more to remind myself that Edward had a girlfriend in order to dampen my re-emerging attraction.

"Good. She loves the firm and they've got her working on a couple of really big cases already. How about you? What have you and Jake been up to?"

"Me, well I went to Rome to see my brother and his wife for a couple of weeks, and Jake dumped me and moved back to Cardiff." I deadpanned.

"Sorry what? Jake left you?" I nodded. I no longer burst into tears when I told people the news, but my face coloured with the thought of it. "Bella, God! I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry!"

"That's good enough."

"How are you doing?" He asked genuinely.

"I'm OK, thanks. I had a rough couple of weeks but I'm getting used to being by myself. I've been really looking forward to starting work."

"Well, you know you can always come round whenever you want, if you get sick of being alone. We're always there for you Bella." He squeezed my hand briefly. _We._ _Edward and Jessica._

"Thanks Edward." I whispered, overwhelmed and confused at how he had made me feel so good and then so forlorn in just a few short minutes.

Any further conversation was halted in its tracks by a loud whistle. We all turned round to see a tall glamorous blonde in her late 20s at the head of the conference table.

"Good morning everyone." She addressed us all in a slightly haughty clipped voice. "My name is Rosalie Hale and I'm the Senior Human Resources Manager responsible for new trainees. Basically I'm in charge of you newbies, so mess up and you'll be answering to me first." She glared at every single one of us in turn before continuing.

"Right. Raise your hand when I call your name." She beckoned a young summer intern who was hovering in the doorway, carrying a huge bunch of folders. One by one we held up our hands and the intern handed us a folder.

"On the first page of your induction folder is the name and location of the associate lawyer to whom you should report after you have collected your security passes. Make sure you fill out the rest of the forms and return them to my secretary by the end of the week." Everyone nodded and sat there for a moment. "Well, what the hell are you waiting for? Get going people!" With that, everyone scrambled to their feet. I told myself then not to do anything to piss off Rosalie Hale.

"You two!" She stopped Edward and me in our tracks. "Hang on a minute." Jesus, had we pissed her off already?

"Yes Miss Hale?" I asked timidly.

"Oh, call me Rosalie. We use first names in the office, but titles in front of clients or in meetings, or to address the partners." Edward and I nodded. I did know that from previous summer internships but there was something about her that made me go formal. She smiled at both of us but I noticed that she didn't look Edward up and down like most girls, and I noticed that unlike the rest of the guys in the room, Edward didn't check her out either. "Speaking of partners, Tanya Denali wants to see the both of you as soon as possible."

"Err, OK." Edward replied hesitantly.

"Relax! Edward, right?" He nodded. "And you're Isabella?"

"Bella." I corrected. I hated my full name. So did my mother but it was a name from my paternal grandmother's family and she was insistent. My mother Renee shortened it to 'Bella' straight away. Grandma Marie was the only person who ever called me the formal 'Isabella.'

"Bella. You haven't done anything wrong, so don't stress."

We followed her out of the conference room and up three floors in the lift to the partners' offices.

"Good morning Heidi." Rosalie addressed the young P.A. who was sat behind a massive desk in front of some heavy oak doors. She had long chestnut brown hair that was straightened, and eyes so blue I wondered if she wore contacts. She was dressed in a burgundy Herve Leger-type tight bandage dress and ridiculously high black patent stilettos. Unlike Rosalie she totally eye-fucked Edward.

"Good morning Rosalie. You can go right in with Miss Swan and Mr Cullen." She replied and smirked at Edward as he walked by. Edward didn't seem to notice. Whilst Edward was charming, he never out and out flirted with any other women except Jessica. I felt a surge of jealousy towards Jessica before my focus returned to the imminent prospect of meeting Tanya Denali, one the most prominent and influential corporate lawyers in the world.

She was sitting on a plush dark brown leather sofa when we entered. She was in her early forties, another glamorous blonde, dressed in a sharp cream trouser suit with a red silk blouse underneath.

"Ah, Rosalie. And this must be Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan." She stood up and shook first Edward's hand and then mine.

"She prefers Bella." Rosalie commented as Miss Denali let my hand go.

"Bella, right." She gestured for us to sit down before sticking her head round the door to her office to ask Heidi to bring in some coffee. "Now, I'm sure you're wondering why we've asked you two up here." Edward and I nodded.

"Yes, Miss Denali." I replied.

"Bella, what was your undergraduate final dissertation topic at Cambridge?" Miss Denali asked.

"Um, it was on the impact of political uncertainty on emerging markets in Italy." I replied. It had been a very long time since I'd thought about it.

"And I understand that you speak quite good Italian?"

"Yes, my paternal grandmother is from Tuscany." I replied. Both she and Rosalie exchanged half-smiles.

"And Edward, your degree was...?"

"Economics with Italian from the University of Leeds."

"I didn't know you had a minor in Italian." I commented, forgetting where I was for a moment. He shrugged.

"I took up Italian lessons just for fun as a fresher but got enough credits to contribute towards my degree." He replied. "I never bother mentioning it because the economics part usually gets more kudos in our line of work."

"Until now." Miss Denali stated. "We've just picked up a very important deal which involves both the International Capital Markets and Mergers and Acquisitions divisions, overseeing the merger of two UK based multi-national companies. Both companies have significant Italian political and economic interests which need to be considered and incorporated into the deal, something of which we've only just become aware."

"We did have an associate lawyer working on the deal who was an Italian native, thereby providing us with a valuable insight into the Italian political climate, and acting as our ad hoc interpreter and translator." Rosalie added. "However due to unforeseen circumstances, she has had to leave VDI."

"And you would like us to step in?" I guessed.

"Exactly. I won't lie to you. This is a massive contract and it is going to mean a lot of late nights, business trips and stress. I wouldn't be offering this opportunity to you both if I hadn't been assured by your tutors at City of London Law School that you could handle it. But if you don't feel like you can commit, then that's fine. We have several smaller deals that you can get started on." Miss Denali sat back in her seat, an eyebrow raised, throwing down the gauntlet well and truly.

Edward and I looked at each other before replying, in chorus,

"We're in."

-cc


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hello all! **

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It means so much that you've taken the time to do so. Also, thank you to you lovely people who have added this story as a favourite or added me to Alerts. **

**I have to admit that I've had a bit of writers' block this week but I've worked out the whole plot outline now so feel better about where this story is going. I'm giving you advance warning- there is going to come a time where you will want to bash this B and this E's heads together because they're being so dense. Stick with it please! They will stop being so stupid eventually.**

**I hope you enjoy. As ever, please feel free to review, but I'm just happy that there a few people out there reading!**

**I don't own Twilight. I wish I did! I do own this story though. **

**-cc-**

**Chapter 4**

Miss Denali had not been kidding when she said that working on the Italian Job, as the case was known colloquially around the VDI offices, would take up all our time. By the end of August, Edward and I had already been out to Italy three times with the rest of the team- twice to Rome and once to Milan. We usually worked a minimum of 12 hours a day, and both of us had almost forgotten what weekends were.

We had gotten a lot of praise from Miss Denali, Rosalie and the other lawyers working the Italian Job for our dedication and contribution, and spent so much time speaking Italian that we were now both completely fluent. For me, however, the unfortunate side-effect of spending so much time working with Edward was the resurgence of my feelings for him. As well as his beautiful face, mesmerising eyes and hard, lean body stirring lust within my loins, he was so warm, friendly and funny. He was incredibly intelligent and resourceful, which came in very handy as the deal constantly threw up obstacles and loopholes that needed navigating.

Spending so much time with a man who made me weak at the knees but who I couldn't have meant that I frequently came home feeling very sexually frustrated, and my Rampant Rabbit only satisfied me for so long. After some time I confided in Alice about it and she was very sympathetic. She had broken up with her asshole ex-boyfriend James a year earlier, and apart from one ill-advised one night stand, she hadn't had sex since. It hadn't particularly bothered her at first, but since coming to London, she had started to get antsy too. Alice had always been a problem-solver and a couple of weeks after that conversation she set us up on a double date with Riley and Diego, two guys we had known from Cambridge, who she'd been chatting to on Facebook.

Alice and Diego quickly hit it off, which left me with Riley. He was now a stockbroker in London, and very good looking. He was blond, blue-eyed and what he lacked in height (he was only a couple of inches taller than me) he made up for in an awesomely ripped physique. We got on very well from the outset, and he admitted to me that he had always fancied me, but I had been with Eric at the time, so he had stayed clear. We exchanged numbers and a small kiss that night and he called a couple of days later.

We went out for a late supper a week after the double date, and ended up back at his place. I was physically attracted to Riley, and he was good in bed, but I knew from the outset that we lacked any emotional connection. I only thought of him when I was horny. I told him how I felt the next time we met up, and to my surprise, he agreed. From then on, we agreed to see each other very casually, with no strings.

Our arrangement worked very well. We met up no more than once a week, had a quick dinner or a couple of drinks, went to his place, had some fun and that was it until the next time one of us had an itch that needed scratching. We were both free to see other people. I don't know if Riley did but I really didn't have the time.

As we moved into September, the Italian Job was gaining momentum, but it was anticipated that it would take around nine months to complete. Edward, having been so enthusiastic and dedicated at the start of the job, was turning up at work listless and looking tired. He started getting stressed at the smallest problems, and I noticed that he was drinking far more coffee than usual.

"Damn it!" I heard him curse under his breath after furiously tapping at his computer at the next desk over. It was a Saturday night in mid-September, just after my 26th birthday, and we had come in to do some research into Italian patent law, which was relevant to part of the deal we were helping to broker.

"What's up?" I asked, getting up for a stretch.

"I've just managed to delete 500 words of my summary and I've got no fucking idea how!" It's just disappeared!" He ran his hands into his hair and started tugging, something I'd noticed he did when he was stressed. He'd been doing it so often recently that I was surprised he didn't have a bald patch.

"Do you mind if I have a look?" I asked gently. He pushed away from his desk on his wheeled office chair to let me at the computer and buried his head in his hands.

"By all means, you can't make it any worse!" He exclaimed.

I had a look and after a bit of clicking and back-tracking, managed to retrieve the text he'd lost.

"Here." He looked up and scooted back to the desk.

"Oh my God! How did you do that?" He asked. I glanced over at him. He looked a wreck.

"Just something I was shown once." He stood up and to my surprise, hugged me tightly.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." He mumbled into my hair. I had to take several deep breaths to stop myself from collapsing against him. He smelt so good and my whole body felt like it was on fire from being in his arms.

"No problem." I managed to say as he let me go and sat back down in his chair. "Edward, I couldn't help but notice that you've not been your usual sparkling self these past couple of weeks. Is everything OK?"

"Yeah, of course!" He replied, far too quickly for him to mean it. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Really?" He started to say something but then his face fell.

"No." He said sadly. "I've not really been sleeping. The pressure of this case is starting to get to me and with all the long hours, I've been neglecting Jess and feeling guilty about it. Things are a bit weird between us right now."

"You know you're doing fabulously well at this, right? The execs and partners think really highly of you." I tried to reassure him. "And I'm sure Jessica understands."

"She says she does but we've been bickering. Plus, it doesn't stop me from feeling bad. We were supposed to be going to a wedding together this weekend but she's going solo whilst I'm here."

"You could have gone to the wedding. I would have managed by myself."

"Yeah but it's not fair on you to do work that was assigned to both of us." He rubbed his neck. "Ow. Damn neck muscles! I've been sat here too long."

"Let me." I came up behind him and placed my hands on his shoulders. Despite my sexual attraction to him, I didn't mean it as a come-on. I had done the same for several of my friends of both sexes. My mother Renee was a massage and beauty therapy tutor, and had shown me how to massage properly from an early age. I gently pressed down onto the tops of his shoulders and moved along to the sides of his neck.

"God, that feels wonderful." He sighed. I moved my fingertips to the nape of his neck and used them to massage along his hairline and up behind his ears before moving back down to work out the knots down the back of his neck and along his shoulder-blades. "Fucking hell you're good at that."

I desperately wanted to look after him, to be the one that comforted him. I wanted to be the one who had the privilege of exploring his toned, muscular body, who got to pleasure him. These were the thoughts that were running through my mind as I worked the tension out of his neck using a distinctly non-sexual technique.

"Better?" I asked when I drew his neck rub to a close a couple of minutes later. I could have continued for longer but it was torture. My whole body was tingling and I was already more turned on than I had been perhaps ever.

"So much better. Thanks Bella." He got up from his chair and hugged me again. "I'm going to head home, take some Nytol and try to get some decent sleep. See you in the morning?"

"OK." He kissed me on the cheek before locking his computer screen, grabbing his jacket and heading out.

Why the hell was I letting myself feel things for him again? The last time I had only ended up hurt. The answer was obvious, even though it didn't help me any.

_Because Edward is simply amazing._

-cc-

Two weeks after Neck Rub Night I finally managed to escape London for a weekend away visiting Seth with Alice. Alice's parents lived just outside York, 25 miles from Seth's place in Leeds, and had a massive six bedroom house with swimming pool and hot tub. After spending Friday night drinking and partying in Leeds, we went to York to explore the walls of the old city and the cobbled streets, and then spent the rest of Saturday and Sunday morning relaxing at Alice's parents' house. Yorkshire was a beautiful part of England, and the people were much friendlier than in London, where people, necessarily, were more wary of others.

The break had been just what I needed to unwind. I had managed to forget about work and most importantly, forget about my Edward-related turmoil. I was so chilled out by the time I returned to Wapping that I was practically skipping along Wapping High Street. In fact I was so relaxed that I moved past the small figure sitting on the low wall by my block of flats waiting for me.

"Bella!" I turned round to the sound of my name.

"Jessica?" I hugged her hello. "What a nice surprise." I hadn't seen her for ages. Even though I was permanently jealous of her, she was a good friend. "You haven't been waiting long have you?"

"No." She shook her head. "Sorry I didn't call first. I actually have a favour to ask. Can I come in?" She didn't look her usual bubbly self. It looked like she hadn't slept properly and she'd lost weight.

"Of course." She followed me upstairs with her overly large handbag. I showed her in and she asked me about my weekend in Yorkshire while I made some tea.

"I guess I can't put it off any longer..." she began after a few minutes. She looked nervous.

"What's up Jess?"

"I was wondering...would it be OK if I stayed with you for a little while?" I was taken aback at her request.

"Of course, but, um, what about Edward?" She started snivelling slightly.

"Oh Bella, you'll probably think me a terrible person, but I've left him. I've broken up with Edward!" She burst into tears.

_Oh My God._

I wrapped an arm around her and let her sob into my shoulder.

"What happened?"

"If you'd told me a year ago that I would want to split up with him I'd never have believed it, but living together has shown me that we're just not compatible in the long term. He seems so easy-going but he's actually a real stress-head. I'm like that too, so we just end up sniping and bickering at each other."

"And those things can't be resolved?" I asked. She shook her head.

"It's more than that. We stopped having sex months ago. I'm always going to think of him as the best-looking guy ever but I just don't fancy him like that anymore and if he was being honest, he'd admit that he feels the same. And then there's, um, Mike..." she tailed off and looked at me guiltily.

"Mike?" She nodded.

"I went to uni with Mike in Exeter. I didn't know him that well. He was the flatmate of a friend of mine. Well, we met at a wedding a couple of weeks ago, and just got on like a house on fire, you know?"

"Did you...?" Surely she hadn't cheated on Edward?

"No! No. But God I was so tempted. And I'd never have felt that way if things were meant to be with me and Edward. I wouldn't have felt anything for Mike at all. But I do. I really do. We swapped numbers and have been texting. We've been flirty but not dirty."

"How did Edward take the news?" I enquired, wondering what he would be like in the office tomorrow.

"He didn't want to acknowledge anything was wrong at first. Then he blamed himself, and it's definitely more me than him. Then he begged me to reconsider, and finally he got into his tennis gear and went to the gym." She started crying again.

"Oh Jess." I didn't really know what to say.

"I'm so sorry to dump on you Bella but you're a good friend to us both and you're the only person I know in London with a spare room..."

"That's OK, Jess. You can stay as long as you like."

-cc-

Edward was a mess the next day. It wasn't just me that noticed. Rosalie, thinking he was sick, tried to send him home but he adamantly, vehemently refused. I knew why. Jessica had taken the day off and was emptying their flat of her stuff. She had rented a storage unit most of her things, just keeping a couple of suitcases and some books at mine. He quite clearly didn't want to be there to see her move.

Over the next few weeks, Jessica made herself at home in my flat. She wasn't actually too bad as a flatmate. She was clean and tidy but not overly so, and she often made me dinner when she knew I was home in the evening. She did spend huge amounts of time on the phone, but did so in her bedroom so I didn't have to hear. Mike, it turned out, was a researcher for a major news network and was currently based in Dubai, but they talked every night. A month after she moved in, he returned to London for a weekend. They spent it in a hotel in the West End, and when she returned Jess had a certain radiance that could only be attributed to a really good shag-fest.

Edward slowly got used to the fact that Jess had left him, moved in with me and was starting a relationship with someone else. He never asked about her but occasionally mentioned her in passing. He had seemed devastated at first but as time passed it seemed like he was more upset at the loss of the relationship, of having a girlfriend, than of actually losing Jessica.

Unlike Edward, Jessica talked about him all the time, as if she had to constantly justify her decision to leave him. It was rare to have two days go by without her saying something about him being too neat, or not being a good cook, or of not talking about his feelings and getting stressed out. Her telling me these things made me distinctly uncomfortable as I then had to see Edward at work, knowing all these details about him, but also because each time she jibed about him, she eroded my fantasies of him as the perfect guy.

By January, Jessica and Mike were fully ensconced in a long-distance relationship but Edward was still coming to terms with the break-up. It was common knowledge in the office that he was single and I knew that several girls had asked him out but he charmingly told each one that he was flattered but that he needed to be single for the time being.

We were still working on the Italian Job and were returning to Rome with Miss Denali and some of the other executive lawyers to negotiate the next phase of the merger. Although I could have stayed with Peter and Charlotte, I decided to stay in the hotel with everyone else from VDI as we were going to be working so much.

At the end of the first week of our two week trip, Edward and I were given the option of returning to London for the weekend, or staying in Rome. We both chose the latter and I was looking forward to a night out with my family. Peter and Charlotte, on hearing that my friend was spending Friday night all alone, insisted that Edward came out with us. They took us to one of their favourite trattorias in the Trastevere district, one of Rome's most artistic and bohemian areas. It was quaint, rustic and served authentic Roman food, a pleasant change from the refined fine dining establishments we had been attending with our colleagues. We then went drinking in several of the local bars and on to meet some of Peter and Charlotte's friends at a little underground rock club. By the time we returned to the hotel, Edward was absolutely smashed, and I was almost as bad.

"Be...be...Bell...Bella..." Edward slurred as slouched next to me in the lift, side-on, curling his arms loosely around my shoulders and the top of my chest. "Top top night." He rested his head in the crook of my neck so his crazy hair tickled my chin and ear. He smelt faintly of garlic (in a good way), red wine and his delicious woodsy scent. I couldn't resist tilting my cheek to meet his hair, or the little sigh as a small rush of pleasure rippled through me. He was right. We had had a great time. Peter and Charlotte's friends were so warm, friendly and welcoming, and with all the alcohol coursing through our systems we had no qualms about singing along with the music and dancing on the tables.

"It really was."

When the lift reached our floor, Edward didn't let me go and we walked towards our rooms (which were next to each other) with his arm around my shoulder, and my arm around his waist.

"Thankoosoomuch!" He mumbled as we reached my door, before sweeping me into a huge hug and lifting me off the ground. "Youredebest!" He nuzzled into my neck and then kissed me on the side of my mouth. It was a hot, slightly wet, noisy kiss that made me dizzy with want for him, so much so that when he put me down, I stumbled against the door to my room.

"Oops!"

"Careful!" He helped me back to my feet by placing both his hands on my waist. I nearly fell over again. "Night Gorgeous!" He then did an awkward turn the wrong way before walking the two steps to his room. I drunkenly checked out his pert ass before practically falling into my room.

Italians hate the cold and the hotel room was ridiculously hot. I quickly changed out of my boots, jeans, silk blouse and cashmere cardigan, and into a pair of navy satin pyjama shorts and a white camisole and went to the bathroom before climbing into bed, my head full of swirling thoughts about Edward. I eventually managed to put him out of my mind and was just drifting off to sleep when there was a knock on the interconnecting doors.

"Bella? Bell-a!" He knocked again. "You wake?" I sat up, I was pretty drunk, but he was even worse. There was every chance of me, or maybe him, doing something stupid. I happened to glance down at my chest. My nipples were rock hard and straining against my camisole, responding to Edward's buttery voice, still sexy despite the slurring. "Bella please! Can't sleep, about to do something stoo-pid!" His voice took on a sing-song quality. The knocking continued. I finally got up, unable to ignore him anymore.

"Edward?" He was dressed in light blue and navy cotton low-rise striped pyjama pants that hung tantalisingly from his hips, and nothing else. I had never seen him shirtless before. _ Holy fuck-a-doodle._ Edward was long and lean and I could make out every single muscle under his fair skin. He had strong upper arms and pecs, and a natural six-pack. His chest and abdomen were covered with a sprinkling of reddish-brown hair, which gathered into a slightly darker happy trail from his belly button downwards, disappearing under the waistband of the pyjamas. I had to bite my lip to stop myself moaning at the sight.

"She called! She fucking called!" He pushed past me and sat down on my bed, propping himself against the headboard.

"Who called?" I asked, moving to sit next to him.

"Jessica!" He showed me his phone. She had called and left a voicemail earlier in the evening, when we were at dinner. "I nearly called her back! What if she wants to get back together?" His words effectively threw cold water on my thoughts of jumping him and my booze buzz.

"Um, is that what you want?"

"Fuck, I don't know!" He pinched the bridge of his nose. He was suddenly a lot more sober than he was half an hour ago. "She really hurt me, Bella. And because I was a shitty boyfriend, I totally didn't see it coming."

"Why does not seeing it coming mean you were a shitty boyfriend?" I asked, not really following his train of thought.

"If I wasn't so wrapped up in my own shit, I'd have seen that she was unhappy, that I made her unhappy." Suddenly I was very aware of my piggy-in-the-middle situation. I knew full well that it wasn't Edward's fault that Jessica left. All he had done was be himself. She was the one that had decided he wasn't to be part of her future. The stupid girl.

"Ask yourself this, Edward? What did _she_ do that made you _happy_?" He sat silently for a minute or two, contemplating my question.

"You know, I can't actually say." He replied quietly. "I guess I thought that because I wasn't unhappy, that that was the same as being happy, but it isn't. It isn't the same thing at all." With that realisation, tears rolled down his cheeks. It seemed like a very strong reaction for him to have but he was still under the influence of alcohol. So I did what I would do for any of my friends who were upset. I scooted over and wrapped my arms around him in a comforting hug. His hot tears collected in the hollow above my collar bone and ran down my shoulder and chest, but I didn't care.

"Are you crying because you don't have Jess anymore, or because you don't have a girlfriend anymore?" I asked gently when he let me go.

"Both. Probably more the latter. I miss being the object of someone's affection. I hate being single and that whole dating crap."

"You don't like sowing your oats, having options?" I sat up, needing to put some distance between us. "Because believe me, the way the girls in the office look at you, you definitely have options!" He seemed nonplussed.

"No, it's highly overrated. I like the security of a monogamous relationship, the getting to know each other and the falling for each other..." Goddamn it. Edward was as much an old romantic as I was. Why did he make it so hard for me to not want him? "My parents set the bar high. More than thirty years together and they're still sickeningly in love. Two halves of a whole. That's what I want."

"Tell me about them."

We talked for ages. He told me about his doctor father Carlisle and his beautiful, doting mother Esme who was an events planner. He told me about being an only child because his parents couldn't conceive after him. He described his near idyllic childhood in a small town in rural Worcestershire. I told him about my dad Charlie, who had been in the army and now taught self-defence, and my mother Renee. I described growing up in different places all over the world thanks to Charlie's army career before finally settling in Southampton when Peter was 15 and I was 11. We talked about holidays, favourite movies, boyfriends and girlfriends past...the list went on.

I didn't remember when exactly we fell asleep, but when I woke up, around midday, I was on my front, draped across Edward's chest. Edward's strong arms were around me, and he was snoring softly into my hair. We were both under a crisp bed sheet and the duvet was nowhere to be found. It was heaven. I never ever wanted to leave. Despite the fact that my back was aching and I needed the loo, I snuggled back into him, determined to cherish this time in his arms. All too soon he would wake up and this moment would be all over, because let's face it, he could have any girl in the world for his happily ever after. Why would he settle for boring, bookish, mousy Bella Swan?

There was no awkwardness when Edward did wake up. He just kissed me on the cheek, thanked me for being such a good listener, and went back to his room. We did our own thing during the day and met up in the evening for a touristy night tour of Rome. On the Sunday of our free weekend, I took Edward to have lunch at Peter and Charlotte's apartment in Campo De' Fiori along with loads of their friends, which lasted the whole day.

The next week we hit the ground running, working our butts off, and I was grateful because it meant I couldn't dwell on the little fact that I had realised I was in love with him.

By the time we returned to the UK, Jess had found somewhere else to live in West London, much closer to her workplace. She also told me that Mike was moving back to London in the summer, and that provided things continued to go well, they were talking about moving in together when he returned.

Edward and I continued to grow closer. After Jess moved out in early March, he started coming round to my flat. Often it was for work, but occasionally he dropped by unannounced on the weekend and we would have more deep and meaningful talks. Sometimes I thought he was flirting with me- he had taken to calling me 'Gorgeous' all the time, and I noticed that he didn't do that with any of our other female friends and colleagues. There were so many times that I nearly confessed my feelings for him, or nearly threw myself at him. Something held me back though. I realised that it was because I was being a big old chicken. I was petrified that if I confessed how I felt, he would have to let me down gently and then things would be weird between us so I decided to wait and see if he made a move on me.

The end of April brought with it the culmination of all our hard work on the Italian Job. The merger finally went through and rocked the international markets, causing share prices to rocket and very welcome bonuses for all involved VDI staff. Tanya Denali was over the moon and decided to throw a massive party for everyone in both the International Capital Markets and Mergers and Acquisitions departments at Cafe de Paris, one of London's most famous clubs.

Alice came as my guest whilst Edward invited one of his friends from school, a huge bear of a guy called Emmett, who now worked as a trainee orthopaedic and trauma surgeon in one of London's biggest hospitals. When we got to Cafe de Paris, I was so grateful that Alice insisted on us dressing up. I hadn't realised it was black tie until the day before the event. Alice was wearing a 1920s style dropped waist gold dress and had coaxed me into a simple spaghetti-strap bias-cut midnight blue dress with a collection of sparkly rhinestones along the waist.

"Jesus Christ Bella, you look so stunning!" Edward came up behind Alice as we stood in the melee by the bar, trying to get served. His arm snaked around my waist and he kissed my cheek. I blushed deeply at his compliment and kiss. "Alice, great to see you. You look lovely too!" He kissed her cheek as well.

"Fucking hell, 'Dward! You didn't tell me that it would be like Britain's Top Model in here! So many hotties!" A booming voice yelled. Emmett came into view. He was hard to miss- 6'4 and built like a brick shithouse with twinkly blue eyes and cropped dark brown hair. "And here's the fairest of them all! Hey Bella!" He picked me up and spun me round. We'd met a couple of times and he was a great guy, really funny.

"Hey Emmett. Good to see you too." Both of them were dressed in tuxedos. Edward literally took my breath away- he looked so handsome. "This is Alice, my best friend from Cambridge."

"Great to meet you!" He kissed her on the cheek.

"Edward!" Somebody was calling him from across the room but I couldn't see who. He waved at them.

"Ladies, if you'll excuse me, there are a few people I need to chat with."

"Ditto!" Emmett was looking in the direction of Rosalie. She caught his eye and raised an eyebrow before turning back to the conversation she was having with one of the executives.

"You'll save a dance for me later though, won't you, Gorgeous?" Edward asked as he started walking away. I nodded. "Good!" With a final crooked grin he turned round and headed towards the other side of the huge ballroom. My cheeks were burning, and I couldn't help but follow his retreating form.

"Holy shit!" I had forgotten Alice was standing next to me.

"What?"

"Come with me!" She pulled me out of the bar crowd, and out of Cafe de Paris onto the bustling street outside. The club was in the heart of London's Theatreland near Piccadilly and Leicester Square, and the place was throbbing with tourists and party-goers. She pulled out a cigarette- her one vice.

"So how long have you been into Edward?" She asked bluntly before taking a long drag.

"What? No, I don't! He's...I'm..."

"Don't even try to deny it Bella. I know you and I know your moony face. You're into him, like really into him!"

"Fine! I'm crazy about him! It's been a fucking nightmare working with him daily for nine whole months whilst trying not to dry-hump him the whole time!"

"Fuck a duck, this is big!" A couple of stray tears leaked from my eyes as I nodded. "Hell, you need this more than me!" She passed me her cigarette and I took a couple of drags. I only smoked when I was drunk and stressed, and never got through a whole cigarette.

"Thanks." After two puffs and the slight burn of nicotine and tar at the back of my throat, I handed it back. It had helped me stop the tears.

"So why haven't you told him?"

"Because I'm scared." I told her about what happened in Rome and my fears.

"Bella, oh, lovely one, you cannot live your life like that. He obviously cares about you. Why not take a chance?"

"I don't think so! Alice, I would never cope if things were weird between us."

"Not telling him how you feel may feel like the easy option now, but it's the most torturous one in the long run. Even if he's not ready now, he might appreciate knowing that you're there for when he is." I was sceptical and stayed silent whilst I contemplated what Alice said.

"He could have any girl he wants..." I whispered to myself more than Alice.

"And there's a very good possibility that he wants you, or will do when he gets his head out of his ass and realises that you're perfect for each other."

"You think we're perfect for each other?" She nodded and smiled.

"Yes, ever since you introduced us. But he was with Jessica at the time and you were still getting over Jake, and since then you've played your cards so close to your chest that I didn't realise you felt that way about him until just now."

"I've been very guarded about it." I admitted.

"Just think about it Bella. Think about telling him."

"OK."

We headed back into the party and quickly got into the swing of things. Tanya Denali came over and we spent a lot of time talking about highlights of the deal and about the direction in which I wanted my career to go, whilst Alice charmed and beguiled the executives- a natural-born networker. The only thing I didn't manage to do was grab Edward for that dance. As the party started drawing to a close, I felt emboldened by the alcohol in my system.

"Fuck it Alice. I'm going to tell him." I whispered into her ear while she was flirting with one of Rosalie's colleagues from Human Resources.

"What now?" I nodded. "You go girl!"

"Thanks. Wish me luck!"

The difficulty was, I could not find Edward anywhere, or Emmett for that matter. I wondered all through the huge room and the bar, and the public club below but no luck. I was about to go back upstairs when I had a thought that he might be outside. Edward had been known to have a cheeky cigarette or two, like me, when he was drunk. I'd learnt that about him in Rome.

I headed outside and had a quick look round but couldn't see him. Frustrated, I spun on my heel and was about to go back inside when a flash of bronze caught my left eye. I turned toward it and caught a glimpse of Edward getting into the back of a taxi behind a glamorous blonde in a black dress. Rosalie. Edward was going home with tall, blonde, put-herself-through-university-by-modelling-lingerie Rosalie Hale.

My heart splintered into a thousand fragments as all my burgeoning hope burnt away. Once again I had hesitated too long, and Edward had moved on to another woman with whom I simply could not compete.

-cc-


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hello everyone! Sorry this is a bit later than planned. Thank you to the people who have taken the time to review and PM. I hope I've answered your questions satisfactorily. Also big thanks to those of you who have added this story to alerts/favourites. **

**As usual, I do not own Twilight but my life would be a whole lot better if I did! At least I own this story. **

**-cc-**

**Chapter 5**

I spent the weekend wallowing in misery. Alice, being the great friend she was, stayed with me. We ate leftover Easter eggs and watched horror movies. I couldn't face my usual post-romantic misery date with Mr Darcy- even he couldn't make up for a love that I'd not lost, just never ever had.

The thing was, I actually really liked Rosalie. Even though she was technically a HR manager, she had contributed a lot of support and advice to the Italian Job and we had spent a lot of time working together. We got on really well, with several common interests, food and baking in particular. She was probably my closest female friend at VDI, although we were both so reserved that I doubted we ever tell each other that.

Rosalie's story was a real rags-to-riches tale. Her father had committed suicide when she was a little girl after a long battle with depression and a bad gambling habit. Her mother then worked two crappy jobs to make ends meet in their hometown of Manchester, whilst Rosalie worked her butt off in school to get good grades in order to get into university. She was spotted in a shopping centre by a scout for a modelling agency at age sixteen, and worked full-time as a fashion model until she was nearly twenty (all the while studying to graduate high school). She then left the modelling industry behind and went to Kings' College London to study Economics and Business Management. She was recruited to VDI's fast-track management program in her final year. She had worked her way up to senior HR manager by the age of 26, and everyone knew that it was a matter of time before she got promoted out of HR and into a non-legal executive position.

On Monday morning, the office was buzzing with gossip from Friday night's party. It became clear that I wasn't the only one who had noticed Edward and Rosalie disappearing off in a taxi together.

My phone rang at 11am.

"Bella Swan, International Capital Markets."

"_Bella, it's Rosalie. Can you meet me for lunch?" _Although she asked it as a question, I knew Rosalie well enough to know that it was really a demand.

"Err...sure. Everything OK?" I asked warily.

"_No!" _ She replied in a very uncharacteristic high-pitched voice. _"I'll tell you all over lunch."_

"OK. Canteen at 12.30?"

"_Hell no. We're going off-site. Meet you in the main lobby at 12.15."_

God. Was I going to have to sit through a lunch with Rosalie dissecting her time with Edward? Utter torture.

I was just getting back into reading the brief for the new case I'd been assigned when my mobile chirped with a text.

_Hey Gorgeous. I'm so sorry we didn't dance on Fri. Something came up. You free tonight? I thought I'd try my hand at cooking? Pasta all' amatriciana? __Che ne pensi? E xxx_

Why did Edward make it so goddamn difficult to not want him? I decided to hold off on texting him until after my lunch with Rosalie.

When I met Rosalie in the lobby she did not look happy. In fact I'd never seen her so agitated. She nodded hello, grabbed my arm and almost frogmarched me out of the building. We went for lunch round a few minutes' walk away at a Lebanese cafe.

"What's wrong, Rosalie?" She rubbed her face.

"The whole bloody office is gossiping about me! Apparently one of the bitches in the admin pool saw me getting into a taxi with Edward Cullen on Friday night and has told everyone! And of course everyone's jumped to the conclusion that I must be sleeping with him!"

"And just to clarify, you're not sleeping with him?" A little arrow of hope speared my weary heart.

"No! Eww!" She shuddered.

"'Eww?'"

"I mean he's good-looking but ick, no! I'd never sleep with him. It'd be like sleeping with my brother, if I had one!" She exclaimed.

"So what did happen on Friday?" She sighed.

"Did you meet his friend Emmett? The big guy? Surgeon?"

"Yeah, I've met him a few times. Really funny."

"Isn't he just?" She almost swooned. "Now that's what I call a man!" She smiled to herself.

"So...?"

"So... we were getting on really well and flirting loads. We swapped numbers. He asked me out on a date and I agreed to dinner this Thursday. But after that, they brought the tequila shots round and apparently tequila and Emmett aren't a great combination."

We paused whilst the waiter brought over our shawarma sandwiches and mint tea.

"He got totally and utterly wasted, and around 11pm, he disappeared. Edward and I spent ages looking for him all around the club and in the streets around, but nothing. Edward was frantic. You know they grew up together right? Like brothers." I nodded. "He wasn't answering his phone either. However, a couple of hours later, just as I was going to head home, Emmett texted me to say that he couldn't remember how he got home and that his head was bleeding but he didn't know why."

"Oh shit!"

"Exactly. I showed it to Edward who tried to call him but he didn't pick up, so we both got in a taxi to Emmett's place in Shoreditch to see if he was OK."

"And was he?"

"Yeah he was, the big stupid oaf. He'd tripped over on the steps to his flat and cut his forehead. Couldn't tell us how he'd got home. Just after he texted, he managed to get into the flat and we found him passed out on his sofa. Thankfully Edward had a key."

Rosalie and Edward didn't hook up. The relief that washed over me was palpable.

"So why do you care so much about a bit of idle gossip? They'll all forget about it when the next story comes along."

"Because if the partners find out I won't get promoted. I'm due for one quite soon. It has been indicated to me that I should be moving into the Financial Office, and I am so desperate to move work there. But VDI expect their executives in particular to keep their reputations clean. Being the subject of gossip will not go down well."

"So why not head the gossip off at the pass? Tell Tanya Denali what happened. Edward and Emmett would corroborate your story if need be."

"I don't know..."

"Rosalie, you're so obviously respected by Tanya Denali and the executives. I doubt they'd let a vague rumour sway any decisions they make about when and where they promote you." She considered my opinion for a few moments and we ate in silence.

"You're right. I'll talk to her today."

She seemed a lot brighter and so was I. Maybe, there was a chance for me with Edward after all.

-cc-

As I predicted, the gossipers and rumour-spreaders soon found new material to talk about, and Rosalie got her promotion to Junior Vice-President of the Financial Office, the youngest VP ever at VDI and one of only a handful of women. She was also very happy being with Emmett, who in turn looked like the cat that got the canary whenever she was with him.

Edward and I were now working on separate, smaller cases within our respective divisions. Whilst we were no longer working together, our workload had lightened since the end of the mammoth Italian Job and we both had a lot more free time. We saw each other socially at least a couple of times a week with mutual friends and at least once a week I would cook for him, Edward having abandoned any further attempts at cooking after managing to burn pasta on three separate occasions.

Edward always greeted me with a tight hug and a soft, sometimes slightly wet kiss on my cheek or the side of my mouth. When he was drunk he would put his arm around my shoulder and tell me things like 'you're so amazing Bella' or 'I'm so lucky to have you in my life.' Of course he also told me 'you're like the best friend ever' which cut down my fantasies of being so much more and we remained exasperatingly platonic.

I was no longer seeing Riley as he had moved to New York so I was perpetually sexually frustrated. I had a one night stand with a colleague of Alice's when I was desperate (and drunk, very drunk) but it left me feeling dirty and unsatisfied. I told myself that I wouldn't ever resort to that again.

June brought a heat-wave to London and also, Edward's 27th birthday. Unlike me, who liked to forget all about the wretched event, Edward had always had a big deal made of his birthday and had planned a big night out. We were going to the stunning Galvin at Windows restaurant, 28 floors up with panoramic views over London. Then we were going drinking in Chelsea. Alice had leant me a beautiful light silver 1960s style shift dress and her matching Chanel clutch, and had chosen a short strapless hot pink number with ruffles for herself.

We were early and had started on the cocktails in the bar of the restaurant whilst waiting for the others. As well as Edward, me and Alice, Rosalie was coming with Emmett and so were Kate, Garrett and a colleague of his from Mergers and Acquisitions called Tyler. Edward was the last to arrive, having gotten delayed at work. When he walked through the bar in his smart light grey suit I nearly fainted with lust. It was perfectly cut and despite the fact that he was a little flushed from the insanely hot weather outside, he looked so handsome. To my surprise and delight, I was the first person he greeted with his usual hug and kiss, and it felt like he held me for longer than usual. I tried not to squeal like a tween at a Justin Bieber concert.

I also managed to end up seated next to him for dinner, which was exquisite. He spent most of the meal with an arm draped around the back of my chair and every conversation we had seemed tinged with flirtation.

After a main course of roasted turbot with Puy lentils and summer vegetables for me, and guinea fowl with mushrooms and polenta for Edward, I sat back in my chair, against Edward's arm, to let the food digest a little. When I picked up my glass of wine to take a sip, I noticed that his eyes followed my wrist.

"What are you looking at?" I asked, just a little bit tipsy from two cocktails and two glasses of wine.

"This." When I put the glass down he pointed at the two-inch scar over the outer edge of my right wrist. "How did you get that?" He picked up my hand and ran his thumb over the raised skin. My whole body felt aflame with his touch.

"Um, when I was 11 and we were moving into our new house in Southampton, I tripped over a box in our living room and fell into a lamp that smashed. When I got up, there was a huge piece of glass sticking out of my hand right there." My fingers joined his in stroking the scar.

"Impressive, although not surprising. You've got to admit, Gorgeous, you're a bit of a klutz."

"Admit it. Hell, it should be written on my gravestone. 'Here lies Bella Swan. Lawyer and eternal klutz.'"

"A beautiful one though!" I blushed and he chuckled at my red cheeks. He stroked my little finger with his. "Well you're not the only one who's got battle scars. Although mine was less to do with being a klutz and more to do with being a stupid, reckless teenager." He let go of my hand and began to roll up his left sleeve. I already knew which scar he was going to show me. I didn't know the story behind it but I did know that the scar on his left forearm was sexy as fuck. It was about four inches long and ran right down the middle.

"I've always wondered how you got this." I whispered, tentatively stroking it.

"Here, feel this." He looked into my eyes before he covered my hand with his and pushed my fingers hard into the scar. I was shocked to feel a hard metal plate.

"What the hell...?"

"When I was seventeen I was determined to ride a motorbike. My parents bought me a decent bike and lessons for my 17th birthday, but I was a cocky little shit and thought that after few months I was the best rider in the world. I took the bike out for a spin one night when it had been raining to show off my skills to a mate, even though my parents told me not to. We ended up crashing into a tree."

"And your arm...?"

"Smashed to bits. I was in surgery for hours. Needless to say I've not been on a motorbike since." A look of pain flashed across his face as he remembered, but he composed himself quickly.

"Wow." I pressed into his scar again in fascination before caressing it with my thumb once again, forgetting myself for a moment. "Sorry, I..." I felt myself blush and dropped my hand.

"Don't be." He leant down to whisper in my ear. "You can't imagine how good that feels." He stroked my scar once more.

"I think I have an idea." I replied, closing my eyes for a second to enjoy the delight of his touch. When I opened them again he was gazing at me with a slightly perplexed expression.

"Yo birthday boy!" We were interrupted by Emmett bellowing across the table.

"What?" Edward let go of my hand and I instantly missed the contact.

"Just..." The lights over our table suddenly dimmed and a waiter emerged carrying an exquisite-looking chocolate cake covered in candles.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR EDWARD, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" We sang.

The tips of his ears went pink with embarrassment but he then blew out all his candles in one long steady breath.

"Thanks guys!" Edward began cutting slices of the cake and serving them out. I had been looking forward to this cake but suddenly I had no appetite. I wasn't imagining it right? Edward and I were flirting, we were touching, we had shared food off each other's plates- it was all really coupley. I was so confused.

We finished up at the restaurant and apart from Alice, who had drinks plans with work colleagues, we caught taxis to Sloane Square. We fell into the first bar we saw, and quickly got to some good-going drinking. Edward barely left my side and wouldn't let me buy any drinks. As it was such a beautiful night, we were all outside on the pavement and Edward and I were stood against the windows. Unbeknownst to our friends, his hand spent the better part of the evening travelling between my bra strap and the curve of my spine. It was maddeningly delicious, and with just those light caresses he had turned me on more than any man I'd ever been with. I was aching and throbbing for him. Moisture had pooled between my legs and it was taking all of my (rapidly diminishing) willpower not to ravage him there in the street.

Edward and I were mid-conversation with Garrett and Tyler about corporate risk-taking and speculative ventures when a shadow loomed over me.

"Bella? It can't be... Little Swan is that you?" I whirled round at the sound of a Texan drawl I'd not heard since I was a little girl.

"No way! Jasper?" He nodded. "I do not believe it! Jasper Whitlock!" I ran over and threw my arms around my dear old friend. He picked me up and spun me round before putting me down.

"Hey Little Swan!" He looked me up and down. "All grown up now, I see!"

"Indeed! God it has to have been what, 15 years?"

"Yes indeed-y!" He glanced at my near-empty glass. "Say, why don't cha' let me buy you a drink and we catch up for a little while?"

"Sure!" I turned back to my friends. "I'll be back soon." I couldn't help but notice that the perplexed expression on Edward's face had returned. What did that mean?

Jasper had been my brother Peter's best friend when we were younger, when our father had been stationed in Germany, as had Jasper's father. They went to the same school and Jasper used to come round to our little house all the time. Apart from being taller and more filled out, he was still the same All-American guy that he had been age 15, when last I saw him, just before we moved back to England. He had floppy long-ish blonde hair, wide blue eyes and a very cheeky grin. He was a bit on the lanky side but still really quite hot.

It turned out that Jasper had never really felt at home when he returned to the States. He had spent most of his childhood and adolescence living abroad. His parents had felt the same way, and had ended up settling in the town of Harrogate, in North Yorkshire. He had gone to Columbia University and got both a philosophy degree and a Masters in Journalism, but he had returned to Europe almost immediately after graduating. He now lived just off Brick Lane in East London and was a fairly successful world affairs and travel freelance journalist, but also taught Tai Chi and martial arts part-time when he was in London.

We arranged to meet the following Monday for a longer catch up over drinks, as he had to return to his friends and so did I, especially Edward. After buying drinks for us two I headed back outside. He was talking to Kate and Emmett.

"Hey." I greeted him softly, tapping him on the shoulder with a bottle of Budvar. He spun round, grinned at the offered bottle and took it.

"Hey. Your friend gone?"

"Yeah. Sorry about disappearing but I'd not seen him since we lived in Germany." Edward smiled softly at me.

"No problem, Gorgeous. You're here now." He didn't touch me though. I quickly got integrated into his conversation with Kate and Emmett. As we approached the end of our drinks, Emmett suggested moving on to another bar.

"What do you think, birthday boy? Any ideas?" Edward started nodding enthusiastically.

"Sure, how about..." before he could come up with a new bar to hit, his voice tailed off as he caught sight of something in the distance. I followed his gaze to see Jessica walking towards the bar from the Kings Road side of Sloane Square, wrapped around an average-height blond cute-ish guy. I guessed this was Mike. She gazed up at him adoringly, and he looked her like she was his sun.

Edward stood frozen, his jaw clenched. Laughing at something Mike said, Jess looked up and stopped dead in her tracks as she took in Edward, before whispering furiously. Mike then looked too, and the two of them turned and disappeared into a bar on the other side of the Square.

"Edward, are you OK?" I asked worriedly. He didn't answer for a moment.

"Umm, yeah, sure." He turned to me and unthinkingly, I grabbed his hand and rubbed my thumb over his knuckles. He stiffened again. I immediately let go. "Actually, I think I've probably had a bit too much to drink. I think I might head home."

"Aw, come on 'Dward, night's still young!" Emmett bellowed. Edward ignored him.

"Do you want me to come with you?" I asked. It felt like he was slipping away from me, and I felt bereft as he shook his head.

"No, no. I'll be fine. Enjoy the rest of your night." He kissed me on the cheek, all too briefly, before waving at everyone else and disappearing into a taxi.

Well, shit.

-cc-

**AN: '**_**Che ne pensi?' **_**means 'What do you think?' Pasta all'amatriciana is a classic Roman pasta dish with tomatoes, chilli, onion and smoked bacon. Really simple and delicious. **


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hello everyone! This week's chapter comes to you from my garden as I am making the most of the mini heat-wave we are experiencing here in England. **

**Massive thanks to all of you who have reviewed. I've replied to all of you who have your PMs enabled. Also thanks to those of you who have added me to favourites and alerts. **

**As I've mentioned before, I actually have no experience of international corporate law other than Google and Wikipedia, so I've created a hierarchy of lawyer grades at the firm of Volturi, Denali and Ireland. This is (from entry level to the top): Trainee, junior associate, senior associate, junior executive, senior executive, junior partner, senior (named) partner. I have no idea if this correlates to real law firms but it works for this story!**

**OK, long boring AN over!**

**Enjoy!**

**I don't own Twilight. I wish I did! **

**-cc-**

**Chapter 6**

On Monday morning, I walked into the office feeling like crap. I spent the rest of the weekend worrying about Edward, and hadn't slept well. I had texted him twice to see if he was OK but had got no reply. I very nearly rang him, but thought that if he wasn't answering texts, he probably wouldn't answer his phone either.

When I got to my desk there was a note on my keyboard from our department administrator.

_Just in case you haven't checked your email this morning, please go to Miss Tanya Denali's office ASAP._

_Shelly_

I quickly put my bag and briefcase away and went up to the partners' floor.

"Good morning Heidi. I had a message to come here as soon as possible."

Heidi looked over my appearance. We had very different ideas of dressing for the office. I was dressed in a fitted grey pinstriped trouser suit with a lilac chiffon pussy-bow blouse and black court shoes, with my hair tied back. I liked to dress smartly but with a hint of femininity. Heidi on the other hand dressed like she was about to go out for cocktails in Chelsea. She was dressed today in a hot pink high-waisted pencil skirt and white sleeveless v-neck low-cut silk blouse, with the highest pink platform heels I'd ever seen. Her long chestnut brown hair cascaded over her shoulders. She was effortlessly glamorous.

"Hey Bella." Heidi buzzed Tanya Denali on the intercom. "Hi, Bella Swan's here."

"_Send her in." _ I nodded and after taking a deep breath to quell my nerves, walked into her office.

Tanya Denali was dressed as smartly as ever, in a navy blue knee-length dress with a matching suit jacket. She was not alone. With her was another, slightly younger dark-haired woman in her late 30s, dressed in a black trouser suit and a fitted red shirt.

"Thank you for coming so quickly Bella." Tanya began. "May I introduce my cousin-in-law, Carmen Denali? Carmen, this is Bella Swan, the trainee I was telling you about."

"Nice to meet you." Carmen said, in a gentle voice with a hint of a Spanish accent. I knew the name Carmen Denali of course- she was the youngest senior partner at VDI and specialised in corporate litigation and dispute resolution. She was based at the firm's other London office in Canary Wharf. She was well known for seeming shy, meek and timid yet had the ability to completely annihilate the companies she went up against.

"You too." I replied timidly. Tanya gestured for me to sit down on the sofa.

"My cousin speaks very highly of you, Bella. It seems you've proved yourself as a competent trainee and that you have the ability of a senior associate already." Carmen said, pouring me a cup of coffee and handing it to me.

"Thank you Mrs Denali. I just try my best."

"And what did I tell you Carmen, she's modest too." Tanya added. "Bella, my dear cousin here would like to borrow you for an upcoming case."

"For a litigation?" I clarified. They both nodded.

"Bella, when we were working on the Italian Job earlier this year, I noticed that you possess a very good balance of consideration and decisiveness as well as being extremely meticulous over details. You don't miss a trick." Tanya paused to take a sip of her coffee. "I know from some of our conversations in the past year that litigation is not the direction in which you see your career going, but we need someone with your skills mix to help with this case, which is huge, and who has some experience of large-scale corporate negotiations."

"And who is a girl." Carmen added. "Although we would still have come to you first even if that wasn't a pre-requisite."

"I'm afraid we cannot tell you any more unless you agree to work on the case."

I hesitated. The thought of being involved in huge corporate lawsuits was a daunting one and I never believed I had the stomach for it. However, getting involved in big cases early on is what got one noticed in the law world, and even though I didn't want a career in litigation, I knew that turning down a request from two partners would be a foolish move if I wanted to make it in big the corporate law world.

"Before you say anything, bear in mind that you moving to Carmen's department would essentially be a promotion. You would be paid as an associate and would be working at the level of an associate, although technically you would still be a trainee until the end of your training contract next year."

"We need the best of the best on this Bella, and we believe you're it. Please say yes." Carmen urged.

I realised that the fact that they wanted me so much meant that I, momentarily, had a small bargaining chip.

"I have a condition if you want me to come on board..." I began, trying to keep my voice even. I hoped that they would respect me for having the balls to attempt to use their request for my own gain.

"Go on..." Tanya replied, looking a little worried.

"If I join Mrs Denali's team, I would like it in writing that VDI will keep me on at the end of my training contract next June, without having to compete for a place with my peers, and I have my choice of departments to join." I wanted my future to be secure with Volturi, Denali and Ireland, and I didn't want to have to go through a stressful round of interviews and uncertainty in a few months' time.

"That's it?" Tanya chuckled. "Bella, unless you fuck up utterly, which I don't think you even have the ability to do, we want to keep you at VDI until you're old and grey!"

"Consider it done!" Carmen added. "Anything else?"

"Any chance of my own office?" I replied cheekily. Volturi, Denali and Ireland had an open-plan office policy. Only executives and partners got their own office. Everyone else got their own desk on the main floor.

"Don't push your luck Swan! You'll have to wait until you're an exec for that one, just like everyone else!" With that, we all laughed.

A copy of my revised training contract with the changes I'd stipulated and confirmation of my salary raise arrived less than an hour after my meeting with Tanya and Carmen Denali. I was instructed to hand over the project I'd been working on to the rest of my team at International Capital Markets, pack up my desk and report to my new team in Canary Wharf by 1pm, where I would be briefed on the case.

I was in the middle of packing up the few personal items I had on my desk when I was interrupted by the clearing of a throat.

"Hey, Gorgeous." Edward was standing in front of me holding two coffees from the nearby Starbucks. "Hazelnut latte?" My favourite. He clocked what I was doing. "Where are you going?"

"Um, I'm moving to Canary Wharf- joining Corporate Litigation." I replied, taking the coffee from him. "Thanks for this."

"Since when?" He asked, a slight edge to his tone.

"This morning. I have to be across town at 1pm."

"Oh." He took a gulp of his coffee. "Look, I just wanted to apologise for Saturday night, and for not replying to your texts. I shouldn't have run off like that. We were having a great time until I let seeing Jess ruin it."

"That was the first time you'd seen her since she moved out. It was bound to be weird, and seeing her with Mike as well. That had to be hard."

"Yeah. It was a real shock. She looked so happy as well. It hit me hard that I never made her that happy, not ever. So I spent the whole of yesterday wallowing." He looked rather sheepish. "Sorry I let my phone battery die so I didn't get your messages until this morning."

"That's OK. I just wanted to make sure you were OK. Better now?" He nodded.

"Yeah, I was going to see if you wanted to go out tonight for dinner, make up for being an idiot on Saturday, but I'm guessing you're not going to know how your day's going to pan out. I hear they work you to the bone in Litigation."

"No...but I kind of had plans tonight anyway." I hadn't considered that the downside of my little promotion would likely be less free time and particularly, less time with Edward.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, drinks with Jasper. You know, the old friend who we bumped into on Saturday?"

"I remember." He replied a little tersely. "Well, I'd better leave you to it. Text me later, OK?"

"Sure."

He kissed me on the cheek before leaving.

I got to Canary Wharf at 1pm, and was immediately plunged into the ins and outs of the case. Despite my best intentions, I didn't leave until midnight so I had to forgo drinks with Jasper, and didn't get a moment to even get to the loo, let alone text Edward. It was to become a familiar problem.

-cc-

The litigation case was, as Tanya and Carmen had told me, a massive and very complicated one. We were to represent a group of 2000 shareholders in an energy company, who were instigating a lawsuit against officers of the company who they believed were flouting the company's constitution by pulling out of renewable energy ventures without consulting the shareholders or providing clear explanations why. They had petitioned the company's board of directors to take some action, but it had become clear that members of the board had sanctioned the decision, so now they were filing something called a shareholder derivative suit against the board of directors and the officers responsible. The complicating factor was that the company was mostly conservative Muslim, and all the shareholders being represented by VDI were female. Their religious beliefs meant that they would not work with male lawyers, hence the need for an all-female team.

The long hours meant that I hardly had time to get home to sleep, let alone see any of my friends, including Edward or Alice. Although I had had to miss drinks with Jasper that Monday, his schedule was very flexible (he essentially worked from home, only needing to come into the City for meetings once or twice a week) so he met me for coffee at Canary Wharf, ten days after bumping into each other on Edward's birthday.

We got on like a house on fire and over the next few weeks, he met me for coffee or a quick lunch several times. Jasper made it clear that he was interested in me, but respected my uncertainty. He was definitely attractive, but understood that I wasn't quite in the same place with regards my feelings for him.

Edward on the other hand was a different story. After my move to Canary Wharf, we texted regularly and I spoke to him on the phone once. However, he gradually became more distant over the next few weeks. I wanted to call him to see if he was OK but I felt like it was always me calling him, checking how he was doing, texting him. His constant mixed signals had given me mental whiplash and I decided that I needed a bit of space myself, so decided to wait and see whether he called me. He didn't.

After five weeks of hard work, I finally had a relatively free weekend. I was meeting Jasper on the Friday night and spending Saturday hanging out with Alice. Jasper took me bowling, followed by dinner in Chinatown, and before I knew it, we were dancing in the VIP room with a whole bunch of his journalist friends at a funky Motown and soul club. He was as much fun as when we were kids. He was charming, funny, laid-back and spontaneous, and very easy to talk to. He was majorly turning on the flirt. If I wasn't still so into Edward, I would have definitely responded and then some, but I couldn't let go of the feelings I had for him, despite the fact that he hadn't called me for weeks.

The club let out at 6am, and we went for breakfast before parting ways with Jasper's friends. Jasper insisted on escorting me home, despite it being out of his way. He was also a real gentleman.

"Bella, you were always a great kid, but you're an amazing woman." He told me as we walked arm in arm from the bus stop to my flat. "I'm into you, but you're not in the same place, are ya, Little Swan? I think I'm gonna stop trying." He did a cute sad pouty face. I cuddled into his arm.

"Jasper, you're wonderful, but you're right. There's someone I'm totally crazy about and until I can resolve what's happening with him and me, if anything at all, I don't think I can let anyone else in."

"I totally understand, Darlin'." He replied. "But if he doesn't want you, he's a total stupid-head!" I laughed.

"Thanks Jasper. Friends?"

"Hell yeah. Even though you are rejecting my fine lovin', you're still a down girl and I'd love to hang out with you again."

"Definitely."

We reached my block of flats and he hugged me tightly.

"Bella?" We let go and turned round to see Alice walking towards us from the opposite direction.

"Alice! What are you doing here so early?" I glanced at my watch. It was nearly 8.30- not actually that early for her.

"What are you doing coming home so late?" She retorted. Suddenly she froze. "Bella, is this Jasper?"

"Um yeah." I replied, confused at her odd behaviour and clipped voice. "Jasper, meet Alice Brandon, one of my best friends from Cambridge. Alice, meet Jasper Whitlock, one of my old childhood friends."

"Pleasure to meet you ma'am." He took her hand and kissed the back of it. He, like her, seemed mesmerised. "Bella mentioned you tonight but she didn't tell me how beautiful you were."

"She didn't tell me how beautiful _you_ were either." Alice said, suddenly warming back up. They stared into each other's eyes, grinning.

"Well, Alice, I know we're supposed to be going shopping but I've been up all night. Do you mind if I crash for a while?"

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed. "We're supposed to be getting started on your autumn capsule wardrobe!"

"Just a couple of hours. Please?" I begged, suddenly dog-tired.

"What are you doing now Jasper? Do you need sleep like Bella or do you think you could manage to keep me company a little while?"

"No I'm good for a couple hours. I can keep you, um, company."

They followed me into the flat, and I headed straight for bed and fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up four hours later, it was to the sound of giggling. I padded out to the living room and as I expected, Jasper and Alice were in the middle of a make-out session on my sofa. I was just thankful that they hadn't got any further otherwise I would have had to super-clean my furniture.

"Bella! Um..."

"Relax Alice! You guys are a much better fit than me and Jasper. Just give me a shopping reprieve today and we'll call it even!"

"You're the best Bella!" She replied, getting up to hug me. She smelled of Jasper's citrusy aftershave. "If only you would sort out your own happiness."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, suddenly on edge.

"You and Edward. At his birthday dinner you guys were so close, I was sure it was going to happen that night. It seemed like he was really into you! Why won't you just tell him how you feel?"

"Why are you ragging me about this now?" She glanced at Jasper who looked a bit shifty. They must have been talking about me and Edward.

"Because you're miserable! Look, it's been months since we had that conversation in Cafe de Paris, and ever since then I've seen you and Edward get closer, but you still won't take a chance. You want him. You miss him. I can tell."

"You want him, don't cha' little Swan?" Jasper asked. I nodded, tears starting to escape down my cheeks. "Well, you gotta tell him Darlin'. We guys are stupid. We need to be hit with a sledgehammer sometimes."

"Why don't we leave you in peace? You seem like you need some time to yourself."

"OK. I'll call you in the week. You too Jasper."

They both kissed me on the cheek before leaving, holding hands.

I knew that they had some very valid points but I was so scared of losing him and our friendship. However I couldn't go on like this. After I shed a few tears, I decided to start the ball rolling. Time to re-establish contact.

The next morning, I nervously made my way towards Edward's flat at St Katharine's Docks with a box of his favourite homemade raspberry and white chocolate chip muffins. Edward usually played football on Sunday mornings so I decided to catch him for breakfast before he left. I knew the security code to the apartment block door and let myself in before making my way up.

I knocked on the door. No answer. I knocked again. No answer. I knocked one final time but when there was still no answer I turned and started walking away. At that moment, the door suddenly opened and I spun round.

"Bella?" My mouth dropped open.

It wasn't Edward.

It was Heidi.

Dressed in Edward's favourite blue shirt.

And nothing else. At least that's what it looked like.

I swallowed hard. _Happy face Bella. Happy face._

"Um...morning Heidi. Err..."

"Who is it Babe?" I heard Edward shout before padding out wearing his football gear.

"Hey Edward. Sorry to drop round unannounced, but I made muffins yesterday so I thought I'd um, yeah, drop some round before you went to football. Guess I should have called first but it's been ages since we caught up and..."

"Great, Thanks! And hey, I've been pretty bad at keeping in touch too. Come in!" Edward replied.

"Yeah, come in Bella! I'll just go get dressed!" Heidi added, kissing him on the cheek and swatting him on the ass before heading towards the bedroom.

Edward showed me into his kitchen and poured me coffee from a ready-made pot.

"I guess you're wondering about me and Heidi, right?"

"Yeah, you kept that titbit close to your chest. How long have you been seeing each other?"

"A couple of weeks. Since Corporate's summer party." My heart sank. I was supposed to have gone to that party, but I had been in the office working. Fuck My Life.

"Nice." I replied. "She's a beautiful girl."

"Yes she is. I'm a lucky man!" He gushed.

"I'm the lucky one!" Heidi walked back in, dressed in skin-tight jeans and a loose sleeveless floral top. She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and kissed his neck. I burned with jealousy.

After enduring another 20 minutes of small talk and watching Edward and Heidi exchange little touches and sickeningly cute glances, I finally managed to get out of there and escape back to the safety of my flat.

I was devastated. In fact, devastated didn't even begin to describe how I felt. I had let him slip through my fingers yet again. I was pissed off at him for making me believe I had a chance with him, for giving me false hope. I was pissed off with Alice and Jasper for pushing me the day before, but most of all, I was pissed off with myself, for not believing in myself enough to take a chance and put my feelings out there.

Sitting in the dark in my flat, tears streaming down my face, I promised myself that if I ever, ever had another chance with Edward, I would throw myself in, head first, and pray that he caught me and my heart.

-cc-

Over the next couple of months, I worked flat out on the litigation with Carmen and we had made real headway. I forced myself to maintain my friendship with Edward, even though my gut instinct was to run, hide and not talk to him. It was very difficult. He and Heidi were getting closer, and every time I saw him or spoke to him, he talked about how wonderful she was.

As I result of trying to keep in contact with Edward, I had to spend time with Heidi. She was warm and friendly when she wanted, but I had heard her make quite a few catty comments about strangers walking down the street and even some of our friends, and she constantly bitched about Tanya Denali.

She managed to keep a lid on the bitchiness when Edward was around. When he was next to her she was all sweetness and light. I thought I was the only one that had noticed that Heidi wasn't as lovely as Edward thought, but at a girls' lunch with Kate, Alice and Sarah, Edward's ex-flatmate, it emerged that the feeling was unanimous.

"She complained that Edward didn't get her anything for their five week anniversary! Five weeks! And then she said that he _only_ got her champagne and roses for their one-month!" Kate complained.

"I hate the way she always looks you up and down before saying hello, like she's always judging you on your clothes!" Sarah added.

"She's always saying stuff about how Tanya Denali is a bitch for making her run around doing errands. I mean, hello! She's a P.A. That's what P.A.s do!" Alice continued the thread.

We all agreed, however, that Edward seemed very happy. As much as we had our doubts, we were all prepared to tolerate Heidi for that reason alone. As we moved past my birthday in September and into October, their relationship seemed to go from strength to strength, much to my dismay.

Fed up of sitting around pining, I started seeing a friend of Jasper's, Felix, who was a martial arts instructor. He was tall, well built and very manly, and he seemed really into me. I felt like a china doll in his arms. He was funny and witty, however and we got on well, even though we had very different jobs and not that much in common. I was under no illusions about my relationship with Felix. We had fun and the sex was good, but he was still a poor girl's Edward.

In mid-October, there was an interesting development in the litigation case. A large number of shareholders who weren't originally involved in the lawsuit decided to join the action, and amongst them they held enough stock to instigate a vote of no confidence in the board of directors. Overnight the board was dissolved and there was no need for the lawsuit to go ahead. Carmen Denali was actually very relieved. She had anticipated that it would take over nine months for a result, and now VDI had secured a huge legal fee for less than four months' work.

I was offered the choice of staying with Litigation or moving to another department at the Canary Wharf offices under Carmen Denali's supervision. I chose to leave Litigation and move into Insurance and Insurance Markets Derivatives, as my previous experience in International Capital Markets was useful, and it was quite a big department.

At around the same time, Edward also got moved to Canary Wharf, to work in the Employment department. It was strange seeing him all the time again, and come early November, we found ourselves working together on another case. This time we were working together to help a huge European insurance firm restructure their staff hierarchy without making too many redundancies, but also negotiating ways to keep productive staff and prevent them being head-hunted, in preparation for them to move into the Asian markets in the New Year.

Unlike the Italian Job, where we did pretty much all the work together, for this case we only really came together a couple of times a week along with our other team members. Seeing him more often was wonderful, but painful too. We still got on amazingly well and sometimes when we had lunch he made me forget that we were both seeing other people.

I was concerned, as Christmas descended and New Year's Eve approached, that Felix seemed to be falling for me far more than I was into him. As time passed, the lack of things in common started to weigh on my mind more and my sexual attraction towards him was waning. I decided that I would give it until Valentines' Day to see if things improved, and if not, I would break it off.

Alice and Jasper, who were head over heels in love and living together had just gotten engaged (after just five months together) and were having a New Year's Eve/engagement party at their riverside apartment on the South Bank. Felix and I were supposed to be going, as was Edward, but without Heidi who was skiing with her parents in the French Alps. New Years' Eve had fallen on a Thursday so it was still a work-day.

At around 4pm, I was just starting to wrap things up for the evening, when my desk phone rang.

"Bella Swan, Insurance."

"_Hey." _ It was Edward. I sat back in my chair at the sound of his velvet voice.

"Hey, what's happening?"

"_Shit. It's bad news, Gorgeous."_ I sat upright again. He rarely called me 'Gorgeous' these days.

"What's wrong?"

He went on to describe a huge hole that he had found in the deal we were putting together. If it went ahead in its current form, the insurance company could cut as many as 500 jobs without having to pay out redundancy money. If that happened, and the press got wind that VDI were involved in such a deal, it would have a huge detrimental impact on the firm's standing in the legal world.

"_Bella, we need to nail this down tonight and get the revised data packs to the executives before they walk into the conference room with the clients on Monday to finalise things." _ I sighed. The chances of making it to Alice and Jasper's party were looking slim.

"Sure. I'll grab us some coffees from Starbucks and meet you at your desk with my laptop in 15 minutes."

"_Thanks Gorgeous."_

"No problem. See you later."

"See you."

In the line for coffee, I texted Felix and Alice to let them know what had happened, and to apologise for my absence. Alice texted straight away to tell me that we were cool but Felix rang.

"_You're not coming? What the hell, Bella?" _He didn't even let me get in a 'hello' before yelling down the phone at me. _"I've got loads of my friends coming who're expecting to meet you! I can't believe you're choosing work over me!"_

"Felix, if I don't sort this out, 500 people could lose their jobs without compensation. Please try to understand."

"_What I understand is that you don't give two shits about me."_

"Felix..."

"_You know what, don't bother. Maybe we should just call it quits if you obviously can't put your boyfriend before your job."_

"Are you seriously dumping me because I'm choosing to save people's jobs over a party?" I asked, shocked at how petty he was being.

"_Yes." _He then hung up. I looked at my phone incredulously before grabbing the coffees and heading back upstairs.

When I got to Edward's desk I handed him the coffees and collapsed in the chair next to him. The office was virtually empty now.

"Right, so...Bella, are you ok?" I shook my head and my eyes fogged up with tears.

"Felix just dumped me for not coming to the New Years' Eve party." I told him quietly.

"What! That jackass!" Edward got up and paced for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose. By the time he looked up, my tears were falling freely. It wasn't because I was devastated by being dumped. After all, I had been thinking about dumping him in the New Year. It was more the way he had failed to listen to reason, and been so mean about it. I was really fucking angry with Felix, and when I got angry, I tended to cry.

"Sorry."

"Oh, Bella don't cry." He pulled me up into his arms and held me tight against his chest. I instantly relaxed. Being in his arms felt like being like being home. He held me until my tears subsided, and just before he let me go, he kissed my forehead. I almost wanted to cry again at the loss of his touch.

"Thanks."

"He's not worth it, you know. You deserve so much better than Felix."

"I know." _But evidently, I don't deserve you. _I tried to smile up at him. "Now shall we get to work?"

So we got down to business. We sifted through contracts and previous cases and put together the evidence we needed to halt the deal until the loophole could be resolved. By the time midnight rolled round, we were in the copy room putting together the thirty packs of data we needed for Monday's meeting. If it weren't for the sound of fireworks in the distance, we'd not have known that the New Year had started.

"I guess it's midnight." Edward commented as they began.

"Yeah." I was sat on the floor of the copy room collating different pieces of data. During the working day it was a task that could be handed off to an administrator but we were the only ones left in the building and we needed to get this done tonight. Edward sat down next to me.

"Happy New Year Edward." He turned his head my way and his bright green eyes bored into me. I felt my breath catch in my throat.

Very slowly he leant into me, caressed the side of my face and pressed his lips to the side of my mouth gently. For a moment I was stunned and he started moving away. I turned my head slightly, expecting him to move right back from me but he didn't. Instead I felt his lips surround my bottom lip and pull very gently- a gentle, soft whisper of a kiss that absolutely melted me. What did his kiss mean?

Before I had time to react he broke apart from me.

"Happy New Year, Bella." He then stood up and before either of us could say anything else, his phone started ringing. "Oh, it's Heidi. I'll be back in a minute." He strolled out of the copy room. "Hello Babe! Happy New Year..." I heard him say as he walked down the corridor.

What did his kiss mean?

Apparently it meant nothing at all. To him at least.

-cc-

**AN: Please don't hate me because of Heidi! It will all work out in the end...**

**-cc-**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Wow! I've never had so many reviews and messages for one single chapter before, as I did for Chapter 6!**

**I thought, publishing it, that it might generate a little Edward-hating, but I hope that the EPOV at the end of this chapter gives you a little insight into his thinking. If that's not enough, then check out the first two chapters of the EPOV companion piece, **_**High Stays the Tide, **_**which I'm also publishing today. **

**Thank you all for reading, and big thanks to those of you who have added me to alerts and favourites. **

**I don't own Twilight or its original characters. I just take them out for a spin in my plot bunny (which belongs to me, and me alone!)**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 7**

I sat there, unable to move, pins and needles working their way up my legs. _What the fuck?_ My first instinct was to forget about it, to not acknowledge it even happened. Yet another part of me couldn't stand it. He had a girlfriend. He had chosen Heidi, not me, to share his heart and his bed with. How dare he kiss me like that and then walk off!

I realised then that I had made it so easy for him. When we were both single, I was always available for a chat or a coffee. I listened to all his problems, I responded when he flirted but never asked for anything in return. I cooked for him, I went round to bring him soup when he was ill and I was always happy to offer advice whenever he was facing a work dilemma. I did all the things a girlfriend would do without getting any of the commitment or love (or sex) that went with it.

When he got together with Heidi, I bent over backwards to welcome her into our group of friends. I took her to brunch with the girls. I invited her to dinner parties at my flat with the rest of the gang. When I got together with Felix, I invited the pair of them on double dates to the cinema and the theatre. Why? _Because I'm an idiot._

Angry desolate tears were working their way out of my eyes. I rubbed them away furiously and found the will to stand up. I finished the last few data packs and put them into folders. As I was doing the last one, Edward came back in.

"Hey, I brought you a Dairy Milk from the machine." He held it out for me. "I know the plain ones are your favourite."

"I'm not in the mood for it, but thanks." I replied, not looking into his eyes.

"Right." He replied hesitantly, and put the bar of chocolate on top of the shredder. "Look Bella, about before..."

"You shouldn't have done that!" I cried, interrupting him. "You have a girlfriend and that was overstepping a line!"

I was really angry with him, but also with myself. Why had I let myself fall in love with a man who hadn't ever really, truly shown me that he felt the same way? If any other guy had given me such mixed signals, I'd have walked away.

"I know. I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, stepping closer to me, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't know what came over me! It's just that I..."

"Save it. Look, I've finished the data packs and I'm going home. I'll see you in the boardroom on Monday."

"Bella..."

"Look, I'm tired, I'm hungry, I smell of print room, I've just been dumped and my closest male friend who has a girlfriend just kissed me. It doesn't matter that you didn't mean it! My head's pounding and I just need to get the fuck out of here!" I was nearly yelling at him. "Just...just give me some space."

"But..." I stared him down and he relented. "OK." He shrank back against the photocopier. He looked like a sad, pathetic kitten as he looked up at me with his huge green eyes and I was tempted to apologise, to tell him that I wished the kiss could have lasted forever, that I wished Heidi didn't exist.

Instead I walked away.

-cc-

Edward's discovery of the potentially disastrous loophole and both our efforts to resolve it were much lauded and both of us received handsome bonuses when the deal went through. After that we went back to our respective departments. I was still keeping my distance from him, although I was civil towards him at work and when we socialised in our bigger group of friends.

In mid- January, I ended up being seconded to the office in Rome for four months to work on a new case involving an Italian insurance firm trying to prevent a takeover from another European company. VDI made it clear that the divisions were international, and they would move junior staff (trainees and associates- executives were considered as senior staff and moved around a lot less) around offices to ensure that each and every case got the most suitable people, and for this case, it was my ability to speak fluent Italian and my understanding of Italian politics and economics that meant I was most suited.

It was a great experience, and I loved being near Peter and Charlotte. They had just had their first child, a little girl called Gianna, and I cherished my role as Auntie Bella. With some savings and my bonus from the deal Edward and I had worked on over New Year I decided to buy an apartment, also in Campo de'Fiori, to use as a holiday home after my return to London, as I had come to adore Rome so much.

Upon my return to London in May, I started considering my options for when I became an associate. Thanks to my negotiation with Carmen and Tanya Denali the previous year, I could join virtually any department at Volturi, Denali and Ireland, in any of the 50 offices they had worldwide. I was getting fed up of London though, and whilst I loved my time in the Rome office, I wanted Rome to be my place of retreat, rather than where I lived.

On my first day back at the Canary Wharf office, I was up and ready for work by 6am. I was nervous about my first day back and still on Rome time, an hour ahead of London. There was no point in going to work early as I had no work to do there so after another half-hour of mooching around my flat I decided to go for breakfast on the way to work.

Down a little side street off the main road into Canary Wharf, a few minutes' walk from the VDI offices, was a small, rather quaint cafe. As it was off the beaten track and was very small, it was never too busy. When I walked in, there was just one other customer sitting inside. I ordered my breakfast- a cappuccino, fruit salad and French toast- before going to sit down with the morning newspaper.

A minute or two later, I became aware of the sound of someone snivelling quietly. I looked over my paper to see the only other customer in the cafe. She was a tall buxom redhead in her late 40s or early 50s, dressed smartly in a black jersey dress and mint-green jacket. She was staring at her iPad and sobbing quietly, wiping away tears with the back of her hand. I took a tissue from my handbag and walked over to her.

"Excuse me? Sorry to interrupt but I thought you could use this." I handed her the tissue.

"Oh! Thank you dear." She replied in a soft Irish lilt. "Someone being friendly to a stranger in London. That's not something you see every day!" She smiled briefly through her tears.

"Well, don't tell them, but I'm not a native Londoner." I replied, smiling back at her. "Did you want to talk about it?" She shook her head.

"Thank you, but no." I nodded and smiled my understanding before starting to move away. "Wait!" I stopped in my tracks. "I wouldn't mind some company though..." she added hesitantly.

"No problem. Let me get my things." She beamed at me how grateful she was that I agreed to join her. I grabbed my handbag, briefcase and newspaper and then slid into the seat opposite the older lady.

"So, if you're not a Londoner, where are you from?" She asked, as the waitress brought over both our coffees and breakfasts. She was having smoked salmon and spinach salad with a bagel. I told her about my upbringing all over the world before settling in Southampton and she told me about being raised on the west coast of the Republic of Ireland as a farmer's daughter but had always wanted a 'glamorous city life'. The conversation moved onto our breakfasts and favourite foods. We shared a love of cooking and swapped recipe ideas.

When the waitress cleared our breakfast plates and brought us refills of our coffee, there was a lull in our conversation and she went back to looking a little sad.

"My husband." She suddenly said.

"Sorry, your husband? Was he the reason you were crying?" She nodded.

"We supposed to be going to a party this evening and I didn't want to go. I'm normally a very confident person but I've hit my menopause recently. Literally overnight I gained weight and started looking _old._" She shuddered. In truth she was a little bigger than society deemed acceptable, but she wasn't fat and she carried her weight well. In fact she was very elegant and statuesque.

"When I refused to go tonight my husband got mad. We ended up having a raging argument and I stormed off."

"What would be so bad about going to this party? You're a very glamorous woman, despite the menopause. I imagine that you could command a room if you wanted."

"That's very sweet of you to say, but this is a party of people I've known for years, who all know me well. We no longer live in London, we just visit now and then, so they haven't seen me for at least eight months. I just can't stand the thought of their comments when they see me big like this."

"Well if you've known them for years then you probably know all their dirt, all their weaknesses right?"

"I suppose so..."

"I bet they're not perfect."

"No..."

"Besides, they don't _know_ you've gained weight. They can only _speculate_ that you have. They don't know the numbers on your weighing scales, do they?" She shook her head. "And the comments only hold power if you let them." She nodded at my statement.

"You're very wise, young one." She replied, smiling again.

"I just say things as I see them, and want evidence if someone tells me otherwise!" She laughed.

That's a good way to be. I think I ought to go talk to my husband."

"Well I need to get going myself. Time for work." I stood up and pulled my Volturi, Denali and Ireland I.D. badge out of my handbag before slipping it round my neck.

"Thank you so much, dear." She held out her hand and I shook it warmly. "I'm Siobhan by the way. Pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Bella. Good luck with your husband."

"Take care of yourself, young wise one."

With one final shake of the hands we parted.

-cc-

As soon as I arrived in the office, I was instructed to report to one of the executives to join an ongoing case that the firm were struggling with. I was thrown right in at the deep end and spent the rest of the week playing catch-up such that it took me a couple of days to check my mail slot. When I finally did, I saw that there was an envelope from Edward.

_Dearest Bella_

_Welcome back Gorgeous! I hope you're well. I have missed you loads and I'm so sorry not to be there for your return. Heidi and I will be Florida but we're back in two weeks. _

_I happened to notice that The Bongolian are in town. I know how much you love them so I took the liberty of getting you a couple of tickets. But if you don't want them, or can't go, then Tyler will take them off your hands. _

_Love, Edward xxx_

I sighed to myself. I couldn't believe he had remembered about my love for the slightly obscure 1960s-style funk-soul band. My animosity towards him over the events of New Year had waned, overtaken by how much I missed him in my life. It was gestures like this that continued to endear him to me. I was gutted that he and Heidi were still together.

The following weekend I had lunch with Alice and Jasper. They were still blissfully happy together. Their wedding was scheduled for the following March in York and Alice was in her element planning the event. I was to be maid of honour and had already been given a three-page spreadsheet of tasks. Jasper had chosen two best men- his cousin Afton and my brother Peter. The two had reconnected when he and Alice came to visit me in Rome over Easter and it had been like they'd never been out of touch.

"So, Jasper and I have something to tell you..." Alice began.

"Are you pregnant?" I spilled out my first thought.

"No!" Jasper cried. "You're not, are you Doll?" He checked.

"No! A sproglet's not part of the plan quite yet!" Alice was aghast at my assumption. She planned everything.

"So what is the news?"

"Well, we do want kids eventually, and Jasper and I both agree that we don't want to raise kids in London."

"Yeah, we're kind of sick of the hustle and bustle." Jasper added. They had unknowingly echoed my own thoughts.

"I know the feeling. In fact I've been thinking about leaving London at the end of my current contract." I told them. "So where are you headed?"

"We're moving up to Yorkshire. Jasper's parents are in Harrogate, mine are in York, and Seth's in Leeds, so it made sense to go up there. Plus it's much more peaceful."

"What about work?"

"Well, I can write from anywhere. There are two international airports within an hour's drive from Leeds, so that's where we're thinking of settling. We're already looking at some beautiful big ol' houses. Money sure goes further in Yorkshire than in London." They seemed very excited.

"And here's the real big thing. I'm setting up my own actuarial firm."

"What? In Leeds?" She nodded. "Wow!"

"Yeah. I'm going to specialise in actuarial services for the legal profession. It seems to be a real gap in the market." She was right. There were times when VDI had flown in actuaries from the USA in order to help with cases because they were so hard to come by.

"Congratulations!" I got up and hugged them both.

"If you're so fed up of London, Little Swan, why not move north too? Doesn't your firm have a branch in Leeds?" Jasper suggested.

"I really don't know what I'm going to do yet. I've got a meeting with Carmen Denali next Wednesday to discuss it. She's acting as my mentor these days."

"Well, think about it Bella, please?" It would be great to have you nearby. The worst thing about leaving London is leaving you behind." Alice added solemnly.

-cc-

"Bella. Welcome back from Rome." Carmen Denali shook my hand warmly as I entered her office. "How have you been settling back in?"

"Good thanks. Hit the ground running, just the way I like it."

"Nice to hear. And how are you finding it working in the Insurance and Market Derivatives division?"

"Interesting but I'm not sure it's my niche. I think I would get bored with it long-term."

"I agree. Bella, the way you observe and analyse situations, it's like you've been doing this 20 years, not two. And your sweet, docile demeanour mostly works in your favour. Clients and opposing lawyers tend to underestimate you, and then you hit them hard."

"Thank you."

"Your background in Politics and International Relations, plus the fact that you speak fluent Italian and good conversational German and French means you'd be wasted in a completely domestic setting."

"Mrs Denali, where are you heading with this?"

"Your successes on the Italian Job, the litigation case for which I recruited you, your work in Insurance and your time in Rome have not gone unnoticed. Marcus Volturi in Rome is desperate to have you return. I believe he asked if you would join his office as an associate but you turned him down?"

"Yes. I adore Rome but I want it to stay the place I go on holiday, rather than the place I work."

"I understand that sentiment. I grew up in Barcelona, and refused a position there for the same reason." That explained the faint Spanish accent.

"So...?"

"Marcus isn't the only partner who wants you. The Irelands have been hearing about your abilities and have actually made the following offer to try to recruit you straight into a senior associate position in the Industrial Law division." She passed me a clear plastic wallet with a formal job offer letter inside.

"No way." I looked down at the letter. Sure enough it was an offer to join the Industrial Law division as a senior associate, skipping the two or three years I would expect to spend as a junior associate. Also included was a salary worth more than double what I was earning now, a relocation bonus, company car and private medical and dental insurance. The deal even included a gym membership. I could also choose from one of five locations. I had thought about working in that type of law but never had any opportunity to experience it.

Liam and Siobhan Ireland, and Liam's niece Maggie, were three of the best industrial corporate lawyers in the world. They handled contracts and negotiated deals for numerous different types of industry. The Irelands handled 90% of VDI's industrial law cases and their teams were based in Dublin, Leeds, Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. Maggie was based in Frankfurt whilst Siobhan and Liam were based 50/50 in Dublin and Leeds. There were four other Irelands, all senior partners. Mary, Liam's sister, and Randall, his nephew were based in the USA, in Chicago and California respectively. Charles and Makenna, Liam's cousin and his wife, were based in Australia, in Sydney.

The other 10% of VDI's industrial cases were handled by the junior partners Jane and Alec Volturi out of the London City office but I most definitely did not want to work for them. They were the niece and nephew of one the firm's founders Aro Volturi (the son and daughter of his younger brother Caius, who was a senior partner in New York), and were well known for being overly-demanding and rather creepy.

As the Irelands weren't based in London, I'd never met them, or even seen them. How would they know about me? I said as much to Carmen.

"We do talk about you trainees at our partners' meetings, but you can ask them for yourself. They'll be here any minute. They've been in town for the past couple of weeks for a case."

"Oh." I replied. "What do you think, honestly? Me and industrial law?"

"It would certainly give you the challenge you'd need. There's a lot of research and fact-finding involved, something you're very efficient at. And your international experience would be relevant. You would be able to experience lots of different industrial sectors, so there would be the opportunity to super-specialise if you wanted. The downside is, you would almost certainly have to leave London."

"That doesn't particularly bother me." Carmen seemed surprised but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to experience somewhere new.

"Oh, right." The intercom buzzed.

"_Mrs Denali. Siobhan and Liam Ireland are here."_

"Thanks April. Please show them in. Oh and please could you bring a pot of tea and fresh milk?"

"_Of course Mrs Denali."_

The door opened a moment later, and in walked a very tall, slender man in his early 50s with close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair and a big grin. He was accompanied by a tall statuesque redhead in her late 40s. A very familiar tall redhead.

"Good morning Carmen. And this must be Isabella Swan." Liam and Siobhan kissed Carmen on both cheeks before shaking my hand. I nodded but couldn't speak.

The lady in the cafe. The lady in the cafe was Siobhan Ireland, and I hadn't known.

"She prefers to be called Bella." Carmen replied. Siobhan smirked at me as if to say, 'I know.'

"Well, Bella, we have heard great things about you." Liam sat down opposite us at Carmen's small conference table. "I presume that Carmen's showed you our offer."

"Yes sir. It's very generous."

"I understand you've not had any experience in the field but we do think, based on your contributions to some of VDI's biggest cases in the past two years, that you would be an enormous asset to the Industrial Law division." Siobhan added.

"Thank you. I am very interested."

"Bella, I'm sure you've realised that accepting the offer would mean leaving London. I know you're not a native Londoner," She smirked again, clearly remembering our conversation in the cafe. "But of course we have no idea about whether you have loved ones or dependents or the like here. You probably need to discuss it with your family."

"It does give me a lot to think about." I agreed. "When do you need an answer by?"

"20th June. We would like you to start on 1st July." Liam replied. The date of 20th June resonated through me. Edward's birthday. Leaving London would mean hardly ever seeing Edward. That thought hurt. A lot.

"Bella, I do think this would be a good career move for you," Carmen began, "But if you decide to turn it down, you still can have your pick of divisions and locations as is stipulated in your contract. Your career won't be affected negatively if you decide Siobhan and Liam's offer isn't what you want."

"Thank you. I should probably get back to work." I leant across to shake everyone's hands.

"It was a pleasure to finally meet you Bella." Liam said, smiling.

"Actually Bella, I'll walk out with you. I need the ladies' room." Siobhan added, standing up at the same time as me.

We walked out in silence and to the ladies' room.

"Bella, I guess you're surprised about what happened."

"Definitely. That offer's amazing, but if I hadn't of bumped into you in the cafe, would I have received it?"

"Maybe not, but does it matter? Either way you have it because of your skills. I'm a stubborn cow, and if you hadn't made me see sense, I could easily have let tensions with my husband escalate. But after our chat, I went home and told him why I'd refused to go to that party, and we made up." She laughed out loud. "A lot!" She laughed again, full of joy.

"And the party?"

"I went, and it was actually great. Two of them had had really bad cosmetic surgery and they were the source of gossip all night. My spare tyre and I were completely ignored."

"What did I tell you?"

"Exactly! Look, I know that making a job offer like this is unorthodox. After our breakfast, I looked you up on the VDI staff database and saw how well you'd done so far. Then I spoke to Tanya and Carmen, who could not praise you enough."

"Wow."

"I really do hope you'll come on board with us. You would be brilliant in industrial law, but if you didn't like it, it would still be a good stepping stone to a career in a different branch of corporate law."

"I promise to seriously consider it."

"And I promise, you would not regret it."

-cc-

The VDI Canary Wharf office picnic was held the following weekend in Greenwich Park. I hadn't told anyone apart from my family about the Irelands' offer. Alice would really put the pressure on about moving up to Leeds, and whilst it was most likely that I would choose the Leeds office if I did accept the job, I wanted to consider all my options.

I still hadn't seen Edward. According to his Facebook status, he and Heidi had returned the previous day but he'd not been in work, and I didn't know whether they were coming to the picnic.

It was a dry, warm day, and I was having a fairly good time. The members of my team were good fun. Most of them were older and married, and had brought along their spouses and kids. In between eating ice-cream and sandwiches, I enjoyed playing with the kids and chatting to the spouses. I was in the middle of a game of Frisbee when I spotted a couple of familiar figures walking across the park towards us.

Edward looked sexy as hell in a tight navy-blue polo shirt that hugged his broad upper body, khaki combat shorts and flip-flops, a pair of aviators pushed into his crazy hair. He looked tanned, relaxed and happy. He was walking hand in hand with Heidi, who looked equally glamorous. She was wearing a pair of indigo denim Daisy Duke shorts, a red bandeau top and cropped white hoodie that exposed a wide expanse of flat, brown midriff. Her long chestnut hair was lighter- streaked with blonde.

Edward caught sight of me and waved before coming over with Heidi in tow. I excused myself from my team and walked over.

"Bella! It's so good to see you!" Edward let go of Heidi's hand and threw his arms around me, hugging me tightly before dropping a kiss on my cheek.

"You too. It's been way too long." I kissed him back on the cheek before greeting Heidi. "Hey Heidi. Did you guys have a good holiday?"

"Oh, it was so much fun! Just really chilled." She replied. "Of course, I wished we could have spent more time partying in Miami and Palm Beach and less time mooching around the Everglades, but Edward insisted. You really wanted to see an alligator, didn't you Eddie?" She sounded rather patronising but Edward didn't seem to notice.

"Yes, and we did! I'll put some pictures up on Facebook."

"Cool."

"Babe, I see a couple of friends over there I'm gonna go catch up with. Come find me later, OK?" Heidi said before kissing him on the mouth and striding off towards the picnic tables where a bunch of similarly dressed girls were hanging out.

"So Bella, did you get my note?"

"Yes. Thank you for the Bongolian tickets. It was so thoughtful of you. Alice and I had a great time, bopping the night away."

"I knew you'd appreciate them. I remember how much you loved the band that time we went to Ronnie Scott's." Edward replied, referring to a time, just after he and Jess had broken up, when we went to the iconic London jazz club. "So how are you otherwise?"

"Yeah, really well. They threw me in at the deep end with a case they were half-way through but other than that, I'm fine. You?"

"Oh, great! I just found out last night that provisionally, I've got the new two-year associate's post in the Finance division, so I'm really chuffed. We interviewed for it last month but when I didn't hear anything I assumed they'd given it to someone else."

"Well done!" I was really pleased for him. It was the job he'd been hoping for.

"It comes with a nice welcome bonus," he went on, "which is um..." he looked away a moment before looking back at me, "...going to come in really handy at some point in the future."

"Oh? What for?" I asked. "Are you buying a house or something?"

"Or something. I will be buying a house at some point but, um...I was thinking more about buying a certain piece of jewellery..." He looked over at Heidi, who was now lying on a blanket in the grass sunning herself along with her friends, and smiled.

"You mean...you and Heidi...when?" I asked, trying to suppress the instant upset I felt. It seemed like any last chance I was hoping for with Edward had well and truly passed.

"Well I haven't proposed yet, if that's what you're asking, but one day..."

I groaned internally. Heidi was beautiful and sexy, but young (she was 22, compared to Edward who was nearly 28) and there were times when her immaturity shined through. There was also the fact that she had the ability to be a super-bitch. Could he really not see it? Maybe he knew but was marrying her anyway.

"Well, congratulations. I'm glad you're happy." I told him, putting on a big smile. _No I'm not. I wish she made you miserable as sin so I could finally have a chance to show you the love you could have with me. _It was at times like this that I was glad I didn't blush anywhere near as much as I used to (although I did still do it occasionally). It made it so much easier to lie.

"Thanks Gorgeous. So what else is new with you?"

I told him about the offer from the Irelands. I knew he could be relied upon not to tell anyone yet. He was loyal, discreet and trustworthy.

"Bella, that's amazing! And almost unheard of!" He beamed at me.

"Thanks. I haven't decided what to do yet, though. It would mean leaving here."

"Really?" He stopped smiling. "Why?"

"The Irelands and their Industrial teams no longer work out of London."

"So where would you go?"

"Probably Leeds. Alice and Jasper are moving there, Angela and Ben are there, and Seth, another one of my Cambridge friends. It's a great city."

"I won't argue with you there. I loved my time there at uni."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Bella, it's a great offer. Ask yourself this. What keeps you in London?"

_You. _ I wanted to say. _You, your handsome face, your beautiful body, your smile, your warmth, your generosity of spirit and your kindness. Even if you have led me on a merry dance and run amok with my heart._

"Familiarity I guess. Friends."

"Well, you'd get that in no time in Leeds. It's such a friendly place. Your money would go further. You'd be able to get a huge house for what you pay in rent on a two bedroom apartment here."

"Yes, I had thought of that."

"It would be a shame to waste such an opportunity." He added. He looked back at Heidi who was now waving him over. "Oh, looks like I'm wanted." He held up a finger to her as if to say 'Be there in a minute.' "Say Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Are we...OK?" He ran his hands through his hair as he asked. "I mean, after what happened at New Year? We've not really talked about it. I really am sorry that I upset you. I hate that I might have ruined our friendship by that one small impulsive act."

"We're OK, Edward. You caught me by surprise and it had been a shitty day."

"Good, because you and your friendship are really important to me." He kissed me on the cheek before getting up to go to Heidi. "I'll call you in the week. I'm planning a bowling night at All Star Lanes!"

As I watched him sit next to her and gently kiss her forehead, I decided that I didn't want to see him make the mistake of marrying Heidi. I made my mind up. I was moving to Leeds and the sooner the better.

-cc-

**EPOV**

Heidi wants to continue drinking in Greenwich after the picnic with her gaggle of girl-friends and I leave her to it. I'm crushed that Emmett's theory was wrong. I phone him on my way back to my flat in St Katharine's Dock.

"Hey Emmett."

"_Hi man. That does not sound like a happy 'Hey.'"_

"You were wrong." I tell him. "She was happy for me. That's what she said. 'I'm glad you're happy.'"

As I repeat Bella's words to him, the disappointment courses through me. I had really hoped that Emmett was right when he suggested a few weeks ago that Bella's angry reaction to me kissing her at New Year was because she did have feelings for me, rather than because she didn't. I care about Heidi, but if Bella wanted me, I would be by her side in an instant, Heidi forgotten.

"_Ah sorry, Edward. How did you phrase it anyways?"_

"I suggested that I might use my associate's bonus for a 'significant piece of jewellery.'" I reply. "She was so warm with her congratulations. She doesn't think about me as anything other than a friend, Emmett. That kiss really didn't mean anything to her."

"_I don't know. Bella's always been such a private person. Maybe she's just pretending she's happy for you."_

"I don't think so. Besides, I don't think she's going to be in London much longer."

"_No?"_

"She's asked me not to tell anyone the details but she's being actively recruited out of London by other partners."

"_From what you and Rosalie say, that doesn't surprise me in the slightest."_

"Me neither."

Bella deserves the amazing offer the Irelands have put forward. It's well known that she is VDI's rising star, the beautiful English rose who's a tiger in the boardroom. I encouraged her to take the offer, even though it was with a heavy heart as it meant that she would be leaving London. We haven't been as close recently, after my stupidity at New Year and then her secondment to Rome. I know that her move out of London will put even more distance between us. My gut twists with pain at that thought.

I remember the delicious sparks that ran through me as my lips met Bella at New Year. I had been pulled into her by her warmth and delicious freesia scent, and kissed her. I've never cherished and regretted something so much at the same time as I do that kiss.

"_So what are you going to do?"_

"Well, maybe instead of pining for Bella who doesn't want me, I should invest more in the relationship I do have with Heidi. The holiday went fairly well after all."

Except for Heidi whinging every time we had to walk more than half a mile or if we came into contact with mud, pretty unavoidable for the Everglades.

"_Are you sure? Weren't you saying just yesterday that you weren't sure if the relationship was going anywhere?"_

"Yeah, but I haven't exactly given my all to it, have I, what with my holding out hope for Bella." I tell him. "Even though I don't have any intention of proposing now, doesn't mean I couldn't get there with Heidi."

"_Are you sure, Edward? Would you really rather keep going with Heidi, than be alone?"_

I feel the familiar worry set in at the thought of being alone. As always it cripples me.

"Yes."

-cc-


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hi everyone! Thank you for all your feedback. I've replied to all the replies I can, I think. If I've missed you, sorry. To all my anonymous reviewers- thank you very much too!**

**I am also updating the EPOV companion piece, 'High Stays the Tide' with two chapters. Please give them a go too and let me know what you think. **

**I don't own Twilight or any of the amazing characters. I'm just taking them for a spin in my little story.**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 8**

I accepted the offer to join the Irelands' Leeds team as soon as I got home after the picnic, and four weeks later, I moved up north. Siobhan and Liam personally took me under their wing, Siobhan especially, and we became close friends.

The atmosphere was different to the London offices. The office was smaller for a start, and there was no executive floor. Everyone, from the cleaners to the partners, shared the same staff rooms. They were much more laid-back when it came to working hours and most of the lawyers worked from home at least one day a week, thanks to the provision of networked laptops.

The projects that I was assigned to were much shorter than the ones I had worked on in London and Rome, but no less challenging. I was given a lot more autonomy and had taken the lead on quite a few. I never had the opportunity to be bored. In my first six months I had worked on projects for the tourism industry, for local financial services, for a chain of elderly care homes and for a huge telecommunications company.

As Edward had predicted, I made new friends easily and also hung out with my old ones. Angela and Ben were delighted to have me nearby and I frequently babysat for their twin one year-old boys Jared and Alex. Alice and Jasper moved at around the same time as me, and we got to know the city together with Seth as a tour guide.

I managed to find a very cute mews house around two miles out of the city centre, on the same road as Seth. It was built of dark Yorkshire stone, with a small yard at the front and a large garden at the back. It had three bedrooms, one of which I used as a study, and a front room with a working traditional fireplace. The room I loved the most, however, was the enormous fitted dining kitchen. The house itself cost me in rent half what I paid in London for my flat in Wapping and after six months of renting, I was able to afford to buy it from my landlady.

I was happy, very happy, except for one thing.

I pined and I burned for Edward. The distance stopped me from feeling the pain of seeing him with Heidi but reinforced the intense longing, my desire for him. I felt utterly pathetic that I couldn't let go of my feelings for him, but no matter how hard I tried, the pull towards him was always there. I'm ashamed to admit I spent hours on Facebook, quasi-stalking him, but I limited my contact to sending him the odd message, or commenting on his posts very occasionally.

The first time I saw Edward after moving to Leeds was at Alice and Jasper's wedding, nearly nine months later. Alice had meticulously planned a lavish wedding in York, with the ceremony and a cocktail party (with teapot cocktails and afternoon tea-style canapés) taking place at St William's College, part of York Minster, and the evening reception taking place at Middlethorpe Hall, a historical hotel just outside the city. Alice's parents' house was built in the 1930s with a heavy emphasis on Art Deco and the glamour of the 1930s. Alice had, as a teenager, become obsessed with the period, and the wedding had a very distinct 1930s theme. Everything from her wedding dress to Jasper's suit to the plates at the wedding breakfast to the cars was 1930s- themed. Almost all the wedding guests got into the spirit of the theme and dressed up accordingly.

Edward looked beyond sexy in his double-breasted gunmetal-grey pinstriped suit, complete with waistcoat and red silk tie, his unruly hair slicked back. He looked like he had stepped off a movie set. I hardly got time to talk to him, well to anybody really, as Alice (possibly the most neurotic, detail-obsessed bride ever known) had me running around with tasks for most of the day. It was only towards the end of the afternoon tea that we managed to say a few words to each other.

"Bella, you look stunning!" He exclaimed as he kissed me on the cheek. I felt the familiar embers of desire as he did so and inhaled deeply, trying to take in as much of his scent as I could. "You're always beautiful, but especially today in that dress!"

"Thank you." I replied as I felt the blush creep along my cheekbones. "Obviously, Alice chose it."

"Well she did a good job! That shade of green looks wonderful on you."

Alice had put me in an emerald green, train-less version of her wedding dress (which was pure white). It was a sweeping floor-length capped-sleeve silk dress, heavily embroidered around the neckline with silver beads, which was essentially backless although a large cowl of silk protected my modesty a little. My hair was pinned up in a complicated series of twists, and accessorised with emerald-coloured ribbons and a peacock feather, whilst the only jewellery I wore was a double faux emerald pendant on a silver chain, with one small jewel sitting at the base of my throat, and the other sitting between my shoulder-blades.

"Yes, she has great taste!" I said, trying to deflect his compliment. It hurt to hear him call me beautiful when I wanted him but he didn't want me like that. "No Heidi?"

"She's coming to the evening reception." He told me. "She would have been here this afternoon but, um..."

"Bella!" Alice called me from the other side of the room. I knew from her face that I was needed to help her go to the loo.

"Oh Edward, I'm sorry! I've got to run and help Alice. Maid-of-honour duties!"

"Of course." He threw a Cullen Dazzler smile my way and I had to clench my calf muscles to stay upright. "I guess we'll catch up properly at the evening do?"

"Sure!" Alice started waving frantically (she was doing the Pee dance as well) so I kissed him on the cheek and ran off to help her.

However, at the evening reception, I never did manage to sit down and have a conversation with him, thanks to the DJ getting lost, a missing cake-stand and Alice and Jasper's getaway car breaking down on the way to the hotel. I barely had time to eat my dinner let alone talk to anybody.

When I did see Edward (as I was flitting around from one disaster to the next), he was with Heidi, who looked thoroughly bored every time I glanced her way. She also stuck out like a sore thumb. Rather than go with the 1930s theme, she chose to wear one of her very contemporary skin-tight Herve Leger bandage dresses, this time in a blood red colour with black edging. Alice was distinctly unimpressed and made me ask the photographer to direct Heidi to the edge of the group photograph shots so she could be edited out later. Edward (knowing Alice as he did) clearly understood this, and appeared rather embarrassed at Heidi's choice of outfit too.

After the wedding Edward and I seemed to further lose touch. Sure, we were in contact on Facebook, but with us working in cities 200 miles apart and with all his spare time being taken up by Heidi, it was inevitable that we would no longer be as close. When I had been in London, we saw each other so often that we never really developed the kind of relationship where we spoke for hours on the phone. We just used to meet up and chat face-to-face. It seemed like for him, it was 'out of sight, out of mind' when it came to me.

I tried my hardest to move on. For the first year that I was in Leeds I dated relentlessly. I went out with nearly all of Seth's available colleagues at the pharmaceutical company he worked for. I tried internet dating and speed dating. I accepted almost every phone number I was offered in bars and at the gym, and went out on a whole bunch of dates with those guys too. In the course of one year, I had sixty first dates, seven second dates and no third dates. I didn't make out with a single one, let alone sleep with them. Why? Because they weren't Edward.

I gave up after that and decided not to force it. If there was someone better than Edward, more perfect than him for me, he would come along no matter what I did. Instead I just waited, both for the seemingly inevitable announcement of Edward and Heidi's engagement, and the seemingly unlikely soul mate I was yet to discover.

However, no announcement came, and by Jessica and Mike's wedding at the end of August, five months after Alice and Jasper's wedding, I was wondering (or hoping?) if there was trouble in paradise. Unsurprisingly Edward wasn't invited to Jessica's wedding (although they were on friendly terms nowadays) but nearly the whole of the rest of our class from City of London Law School were there.

At the wedding breakfast I was sat next to seven-months pregnant Kate and Garrett. Kate was supposed to have been a bridesmaid but when she fell pregnant, Jessica replaced her with one of her cousins. Kate was surprisingly understanding about this and instead she had done a reading.

"Oh Bella, we miss you so much!" Kate gushed when I sat down next to her at the table, kissing me on both cheeks. Evidently pregnancy hormones had made Kate affectionate. She had even mentioned that she was thinking of quitting her job with the Crown Prosecution Service to be a full-time mother, if Garrett got an impending promotion to senior associate in the Tax division at VDI's London City office.

"I miss you guys too." I replied. "But Leeds is brilliant. If you weren't about to drop the sprog I'd say come visit me!"

"Maybe once this little one's born and a bit older."

"Maybe." I thought the chances of Kate and Garrett actually visiting were probably rather slim. They hadn't so far and I'd been in Leeds for 14 months.

"So what's the goss?" I asked whilst helping myself to Kate's champagne. She couldn't drink it, after all.

"Not much really. Tyler got engaged to his girlfriend Lauren, and they're getting married next year sometime. Oh and Sarah's got this new boyfriend, but he's a bit weird..." She proceeded to tell me a bit about him. "...and Heidi still won't move in with Edward, so they've hit a bit of an impasse really."

"Huh? Sorry, it's been ages since I spoke to Edward. What's up with him and Heidi?" I tried to sound casual about it.

"Oh, well, she keeps bugging about him proposing, and he keeps telling her that he wants them to live together first, to see if they're compatible that way. I guess that's thanks to him getting burned by Jess." She gestured towards the top table, where Jessica was grinning at Mike, who had an equally goofy-happy look on his face.

"So why doesn't she want to move in?"

"Heidi claims she's 'traditional.' She doesn't want them to live together until they're married."

"What does that mean? She sleeps with him after all." I had to suppress a shudder at the memory of seeing her wearing Edward's shirt.

"I know! She spends the night a few times a week, but she's drawing the line at actually moving in."

"How long have they been at stalemate?"

"Six months. I'm pretty sure that Edward will cave soon though. She's wearing him down."

"Mmm." I smiled the biggest fakest smile I could manage.

Jessica came over to the table then, doing the rounds of her guests. I was very grateful for the distraction. Once she'd moved on to the next table, our conversation moved onto babies and Edward's problems with Heidi were forgotten, except by me. Something about the conversation didn't quite add up, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

-cc-

A couple of weeks later and I had just returned home from a trip to Dublin, assisting Liam on a case, when there was a knock on my front door.

"Bella Swan?" It was a delivery man.

"Yes?" He thrust a huge ornamental plant, set in its own little rock garden with pale purple flowers, into my hands. They were subtle, but beautiful.

"Guess it's your birthday?" The delivery man said as I signed his electronic screen thingy. Actually it was the next day- I had completely forgotten.

"Tomorrow. How did you know?"

"Purple Aster flowers. This plant's _Aster alpinus- _the Blue Alpine Daisy. One of the birth flowers for September. Enjoy." As he left, he handed me a card in a silver envelope. I took the plant and the card into the kitchen and made myself a cup of tea before opening the card. I hadn't reminded anybody it was my birthday so couldn't think who would send me such a lovely gift.

_My dearest Bella_

_I was going to be boring and just send you a bouquet of generic flowers, but the florist suggested something a bit longer-lasting. I hope you like it. Apparently it will sit well planted in a garden but will last for ages in its container. _

_Happy birthday, Gorgeous._

_I know I've been a bad friend, not keeping in touch and all. I won't make excuses. I just hope you can forgive me and that we get to see each other soon, because I miss you. I miss you more than words can say._

_All my love, _

_Edward xxx_

Tears filled my eyes and I read it about a hundred times. Sometimes I wondered if he did things like this deliberately just to torment me. How was I supposed to respond to this? He was on the point of getting engaged to another woman. Did he tell every female friend similar things when he didn't see them for a while?

_I miss you. I miss you more than words can say._

The words reverberated through me because I missed _him_ so much. Every day. I missed his handsome face, his dry humour, our chats about arts, books and music, and our shared passion for the law.

After I shed a few more tears and ate the last of my emergency Dairy Milk bars, I plucked up the nerve to text Edward. I snapped a picture of the plant and sent it to him with a simple message, avoiding telling him that I missed him too because seeing the words in text would make it hurt even more.

_Thank you for the beautiful plant, and for the birthday message. Bella xxx_

He texted back within thirty seconds.

_You are more than welcome, Gorgeous. See you very soon. Rosalie's birthday next month in Paris? She said you were coming. Can't wait to see you. Edward xxx_

A flutter of anticipation tickled my stomach at the thought of spending the weekend in Paris with Edward in such close proximity. However with Heidi coming too, it was going to be a whole world of emotional turmoil. And yet, so desperate was I to see him that I knew that the month between now and Rosalie's birthday couldn't pass fast enough.

-cc-

**AN: Next week,Chapter 9- Paris. And it's going to be...eventful. **

**-cc-**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Hi everyone! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and added me to alerts/favourites! **

**And so we're heading to Paris for this chapter, and as I hinted, a lot is going to happen. As giving you one chapter would mean leaving you with a cliffie and I'm not going to be able to post for a couple of weeks after this, I'm giving you Chapter 10 as well. I am also updating the EPOV companion piece 'High Stays the Tide' with two more chapters. If you've not done so already, please check it out.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter and Chapter 10. If you do, or if you hate it, I'd love it if you could leave me a little review and tell me why, but no pressure. I'm just happy that you're reading!**

**I own this story, but I don't own any of Stephenie Meyer's awesome Twilight characters. **

**-cc-**

**Chapter 9**

Rosalie was a strange mixture of reserved and ostentatious. She didn't let many people into her inner circle, but liked to spend money and do things in style with the people she cared about. Therefore I was not surprised at all to hear that we were spending her birthday weekend in Paris. Rosalie had pulled out all the stops- first class Eurostar train tickets from London to Paris, a stay in the luxury five-star George Cinq hotel, just off the Champs-Elysees, and dinner at the iconic Pierre Gagnaire restaurant for a lavish seven-course meal.

We were to be a small party. As well as Rosalie and Emmett, there was Vera, Rosalie's childhood best friend, her husband Henry, Alice and Jasper, Edward and Heidi, and me, the token singleton.

On the Saturday morning of our departure, all of us, except Edward and Heidi, got to the Eurostar check-in at London St Pancras Station in plenty of time.

"Where the fuck are they?" Rosalie had started pacing up and down. The train was to depart in 15 minutes, and check-in closed in five minutes' time. "If they're not here when check-in closes, we're leaving without them!"

We had all checked our phones but there was no word from him. Emmett had texted him a few times but no reply. We were all getting quite worried.

"Miss Hale. Your party needs to get to the platform now. The train is ready to depart." The check-in attendant told us. Rosalie sighed and started moving towards the escalators to the platform. I started to follow when something made me glance right, towards the main entrance to the Eurostar terminal. I saw a blur of bronze running towards us.

"Wait!" I shouted, then pointed at a frantic Edward.

"Guys I'm so sorry!" Edward panted, shoving his passport into the check-in man's hand. He looked as gorgeous as ever, but exhausted.

"What the hell happened to you? And where's Heidi?" Emmett asked. "You know what, we don't have time. Tell us on the train."

We rushed to the platform, onto the train carriage and into our seats. I ended up next to Rosalie and opposite Edward and Emmett.

"So what's going on?" Rosalie asked, a little calmer.

"Heidi's in hospital."

"What?" I exclaimed. "What happened? Is she ok?"

"She'll be fine. She, um, got appendicitis yesterday and needed an operation." He glanced at me briefly, ran his hands through his crazy hair and tugged at the tendrils behind his right ear. _He's lying._ I knew Edward's little tells from working with him so much. I looked at Emmett. He had his arms crossed and was sat upright in his chair. _ Emmett knows he's lying too._

"Appendicitis?" Rosalie asked, a touch sceptically.

"Yeah. But she had been at her parents' estate in Suffolk all week, so I ran up there yesterday after work and then got stuck on the motorway coming back after an accident. Five car pile-up. By the time I got back into London I barely had time to grab my things and catch the Tube to St Pancras."

"Oh well, you're here now." I observed rather inanely, wondering whether to ask him about his lie later or just to leave it alone.

"Yeah. She sends her apologies by the way."

"That's OK. I mean, her appendix blew up. Not her fault."

Edward sucked in his cheeks for a second before answering, another sure sign that something wasn't right.

"I told her you'd understand."

"Yeah, well, that's me. Miss Understanding!"

Everyone burst into peals of laughter. If there was one thing Rosalie was not known for, it was that.

"Say Edward, I'm guessing you haven't told Bella, Alice and Jasper your news!" Rosalie said, once the attendants had been round with champagne and canapés. Edward stiffened and looked at me, then to the floor, and once again I wondered what was going on with him. He was not usually so uncomfortable, and he was usually so honest.

"Yes, well, see, Heidi and me..." He lifted his head up and my stomach filled with butterflies as I developed an inkling of what he was going to reveal. "We're engaged." He let out a big breath.

Before I had time to react, Alice and Jasper were offering him their congratulations. I swallowed hard, desperately trying to suppress my tears and find my happy face before Edward looked back at me.

_Please, please, don't let me lose my composure now._

"Bella?"

"Congratulations, Edward." I leant across the table and brushed his strong jaw with a kiss. "Have you set a date?" I asked as I sat back in my seat, my fake smile having found its way to my mouth.

"Provisionally next August. We're going to have the reception at Heidi's parents' house so it just depends on when the church is available." He smiled at me, but it wasn't a beaming 'I'm ecstatic' smile; it was more of a grimace.

"Wonderful! Wonderful." I replied. "I'm so pleased for you." _If you can lie, so can I. I can pretend that my heart isn't destroyed and that I wish you a long and happy life with Heidi instead of me._

After a smooth journey into Paris Gare du Nord, a quick explore of the magnificent hotel and along the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, we went to the award-winning restaurant. Rosalie and I had an interest in cooking and fine dining in common; when I lived in London, she was my restaurant buddy. I was beyond excited, despite my heartbreak over Edward's announcement.

"Amazing!" Jasper breathed as we walked through the door of Pierre Gagnaire with its modern decor interspersed with beautiful pieces of artwork. "I cannot wait to write about this place!"

The meal was truly exquisite, from the oysters with cream to start, to a foamy Jerusalem artichoke soup, to sea trout with herbs and then braised duck with warm spices, and finally a platter of rich cheeses and a plum and cherry cake with a dark red wine syrup. All through it, I couldn't help glancing at Edward who was sat at the other end of the table between Vera and Alice. He seemed like he was enjoying the food and conversation with Alice and Vera, but otherwise he was distracted, like he was deep in thought.

I wanted to ask him what was wrong. No, what I wanted to do was to climb onto his lap, take his face into my hands and kiss it all better. I couldn't do that though. He was getting married. Any chance I might have had was lost.

The meal had been seven courses, and had taken all night, so afterwards we all went back to the hotel. After a quick nightcap in the hotel bar, we headed to bed. Rosalie was determined to fit in a boat trip, a museum visit and shopping before we got the train back to London late afternoon so we all agreed that we should get some rest.

Once I got to my room, I kicked off my heels, collapsed on my bed and turned to my failsafe distraction, work. I ran through the 20 or so emails from members of my team on my iPhone and started replying to the few that needed a response over the weekend. I was just finishing up the last one when there was a knock on the door.

I padded over and looked through the peephole. It was Edward, still wearing his suit from the restaurant but with his tie loosened.

"Bella? Bella please? Please open..." I didn't wait for him to finish before I opened the door. Before I knew it I was being swept into a huge hug. Edward buried his face into my neck and clung to me.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" I asked him. He didn't answer, but his arms tightened around me. One of his hands caressed the ends of my long brown hair. He smelt of his sexy woodsy smell, but also faintly of whiskey. "Have you been drinking?"

"Yeah." He mumbled into my hair. "Drowning my sorrows."

"About what?" I asked, neither of us letting go. He didn't answer. "Edward?"

"Heidi. Life in general."

"You want to talk about it?"

"No. Yes." He let go of me, shrugged off his jacket, kicked off his shoes and made himself comfortable lying on the bed. Seeing him there had an instant effect on my body. My nipples tightened, I became flushed and I became damp with want for him.

I took out a bottle of mineral water from the mini-bar and passed it to him before perching on the side of the bed by his hip.

"So, Heidi doesn't have appendicitis, but I'm guessing you already figured that out." I nodded. "I knew you'd be the hardest to convince and I knew once I said it that you knew I was lying."

"So why lie? Where is she?"

"Well she is in hospital, and she has had an operation." I raised an eyebrow. "She had a boob job."

"What?" She already had an amazing figure. Why would she want to mess with it?

"Her father rang yesterday afternoon to say she was in hospital and I rushed up there to find out that she'd had a boob job. Her dad paid for them- an early Christmas present. She wanted them done now so the swelling would be down in time for Christmas Day."

"That's messed up! Why would her dad pay for something like that?"

"He's loaded, and he gives her anything she wants. For every pound she earns working at VDI, he puts double into her spending account." He rubbed his face. He looked exhausted. "I'm just so angry with her. She was beautiful before, why would she do this? And the day before Rosalie's birthday trip to Paris as well. It's just so inconsiderate."

"So what happened when you got to the hospital and found out?"

"I got really mad, and then she got mad.' I stormed out and headed back to London, but then got stuck in that God-awful traffic jam, which gave me plenty of time to dwell."

"Have you spoken to her since?"

"No. I just said that I'd talk to her when we get back to London tomorrow." I leant over and squeezed his hand. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm so confused." He turned onto his side, gripping my hand still. "Bella, am I making a huge mistake marrying Heidi?"

_Yes. Have me instead._

"Only you can answer that. It sounds corny, but you have to follow your heart. Loving someone means loving them despite their faults, but building a life together means learning to live with those faults." I hoped that was a vague enough answer. I didn't want to berate Heidi and tell him he was making a mistake, only to find that he went and married her anyway. That would only damage our friendship.

He nodded and let go of my hand before turning onto his back again.

"So, what's up with you? Tell me about Leeds. I've barely seen you since you moved."

We chatted for a little while about work and friends and family- anything but Heidi. It wasn't a particularly meaningful conversation given how much we'd drunk, especially him, but it felt just like old times. I was getting tired but was fighting it in order to keep talking to him. Pretty soon, however, I could no longer ignore my bladder's reminders that I had drunk a lot of wine tonight and had to go to the loo.

"Don't go anywhere." I told him as I ran for the bathroom, grabbing my pyjamas as I went. They happened to be the same camisole and navy satin shorts that I'd worn when Edward and I shared the same bed in Rome a couple of years ago. I sorted myself out, quickly washed my face, brushed my teeth and dabbed some perfume on my wrists and neck.

When I returned to the room, Edward was still there. However, his clothes weren't. His shirt, tie, trousers and socks were in a pile by the side of the bed, and he was under the sheets, fast asleep on his back, his head turned to the middle of the bed. I sighed. I thought about waking him up. Sharing a bed with him would be pleasure, pain, bliss and turmoil all rolled into one. Yet I didn't. I didn't want to. I crawled in next to him and turned onto my side facing away from him, lying near enough that I could feel his body heat, but not touching. My body instantly relaxed in his presence and I quickly fell asleep too.

I woke up a couple of hours later, still on my side, considerably warmer than when I fell asleep because Edward's arms were wrapped around me, and his legs tangled with mine. I don't know who had gravitated towards whom, but it felt wonderful. I closed my eyes again, nuzzled my head back a little and was rewarded by the sensation of Edward's warm breath against my ear. My whole body thrummed with pleasure at being surrounded by his touch.

I started drifting off to sleep again when the warm breath against my ear turned into a kiss against my earlobe. It was followed by several more kisses around and over my ear, and then down the side of my neck. I nearly fainted with desire. I also didn't quite know what to do. I assumed Edward was asleep and mistaking me for Heidi. I didn't want him to stop but it also felt wrong to be accepting them when they were not actually intended for me.

His kisses on my skin sent ripples of pleasure through me. I knew I should stop him and that the longer I left it the harder it would be. I started to move my hand up behind me to shake him awake when his hand, which had been resting over my waist, moved lower and found the edge of my camisole. Suddenly Edward's hot palm was flush against the skin of my abdomen and moving higher, towards my breasts. Any resistance I was about to put up melted away. I slowly lowered my hand down and then stayed as still as I could manage and let him continue his exploration of my body.

His kisses continued over my neck and my bare shoulder and I felt him nudge my camisole strap down my arm with his nose. His hand swept across my tummy before moving upwards. My breathing sped up in anticipation as his fingers met the sensitive silky skin under my breast, and I bit my lip to suppress a moan as his hand covered my tit completely. His long fingers teased my already-tight nipple into a rock hard pebble before squeezing my whole breast softly. He then moved his hand to my other breast and he kissed over my upper arm. I was just getting used to that when I felt burning wet heat envelop my throbbing peak. I glanced down to see Edward leaning over me, sucking my tit gently. His eyes were closed and his breathing steady. I subtly pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, because it seemed like he was.

I found myself being rolled onto my back and Edward stopped sucking my breast momentarily to move over me. He settled between my legs and his hard erection brushed against my centre, which was so wet that I could feel the dampness through my satin sleep shorts and on my inner thighs. Edward dragged his lips from the curve of my breast, up my chest and neck, which he then rained with kisses before sucking my chin and nipping along my jaw, up and down. I was so turned on I was seeing stars.

Edward sucked my earlobe once again before slowly kissing back along my jaw towards my mouth. When his lips finally brushed against mine, I couldn't help but let out a little moan of delight before responding eagerly. It was better than I remembered. His tongue stroked my top lip before dipping into my mouth and mine met his keenly, turning his tentative kiss into a deep, passionate dance.

We both started moving against each other, his hard cock deliciously rubbing against my clit through the flimsy barriers of satin and cotton, all the while continuing our wet, languid kisses. Edward's hand moved up and down my side before finding the edge of my camisole. In one swift move he had removed it so our chests were skin to skin, and he caressed my breast once again.

I had plastered my hands against my sides to stop myself touching him, which I so desperately wanted to do, in case I woke him up. I was in too deep now. I knew we were rapidly heading towards full sex and I desperately wanted it. However, when one of his hands moved to stroke my hair and the other interlaced with my hand, the gesture was so intimate that I couldn't help but move my free hand to the back of his neck and softly pull at the soft tendrils of his bronze hair in return. As I did he moaned loudly into my mouth and his tongue thrust deeper into my mouth.

He let go of my hair and moved his hand down my side, and under my shorts. His fingers crept over my hipbone and along to the top of my mound. I gasped as one of his long fingers dipped down into my dripping wet slit and ghosted over my clitoris.

"Oh fuck!" I gasped, trying to keep my voice down.

"Mmm, beautiful." He whispered back before pushing his finger lower and into my tight pussy. I gasped again and he smiled slightly before brushing my lips with his. He added a second finger and pumping in and out slowly and rubbing my clit with the pad of his thumb.

"Aah...aah..." He was so good at what he was doing. I could feel delicious pressure building low in my abdomen and my fingers tightened in his hair. He kissed me hard before moving his kisses down over my neck and continuing to curl his fingers into me. I started writhing under him, getting closer and closer to the climax I craved from his touch.

"Come for me." He panted as he sped up the movements of his fingers inside me. "Come." He repeated with a final pass over my clit with his thumb. It tipped me over the edge and my orgasm overtook, sending shots of pure ecstasy through me and tingles and sparks of electricity up and down my spine. My back arched off the bed. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my head in his shoulder to ride out the waves. I took the opportunity to kiss and nip along his collarbone. He tasted divine.

"Mmm..." I had barely come down from my high when Edward moved his fingers out of my throbbing pussy and pulled off my shorts completely, before pushing down his boxers to his knees. His rock hard cock sprung out and settled between us. I glanced down. It was difficult to see because of the darkness in the room but his member seemed huge.

"Need you." He whispered. I nodded against his shoulder and let him stroke the head of his hard penis against my super-sensitive slit.

"Yes." He didn't hesitate. The tip of his cock had gravitated towards my pussy and with a deep breath he entered me in one swift move. I was right. He _was _huge. Massive. Enormous. I bit my lip so hard I drew blood at the feeling of being so completely full of Edward, moving in and out of me slowly. He made me feel whole. I wished he could feel it too.

Edward's breathing was rapid and shallow, and he had started to move faster, setting up a wonderful rhythm as my hips instinctively lifted to meet his movements. I still had my arms around his neck and he ran one of his hands up my arm before grasping one of my hands and moving it into my hair. I took the hint and tugged softly. He groaned.

"Love that." He whispered into my ear before speeding up. His cock was rubbing a sensitive spot deep inside me and I was supremely close to coming all over again. Even though we had never done this before I knew that he was close too. Edward rested his forehead against mine and kissed me gently before nipping at my lip.

"Edward..." I moaned as he moved faster still.

"Say it again." He murmured. "Please, say my name again."

"Edward."

"Aah..."

"Edward, let go."

"Aah...yes! Yes!" He did as I asked, filling me with spurts of his hot, wet seed. The sensation caused my release too and I cried out into his shoulder once more.

"Edward...Edward...Edward!" I whispered his name over and over again, tears pricking my eyes as the rapture I'd just experienced came to an end. He kissed me once again before pulling out of me, collapsing half onto my chest and half onto the bed, one of his lithe arms curled around my neck, and the other draped over my waist. We were as close as could be without his weight crushing me.

"Thank you." He mumbled before pulling up his briefs and drifting into what seemed like a deep slumber once again. I could have wriggled out from under him but I didn't want to. Pretty soon this would be over and I would have to face the fact that I had let Edward make love to me thinking that I was Heidi. I ran my hand into his soft hair and tried to sleep.

It was futile. My despair turned over and over in my head. I was in love with him. I wanted him so badly, and now that I had experienced what it was like to be with him, I knew I could never be happy with anyone else. He was the only one for me and the only thing in the world I wanted was his love in return. Now I had taken his attention when he had offered it to me drunkenly in his sleep, mistakenly, thinking I was the woman he was going to marry. I had taken advantage of him when he was down and felt terrible. Guilt overwhelmed me. How could I look him in the face again?

The early morning light was starting to filter through the gaps in the curtains. I glanced over to the clock on the TV. It was 7.15am. We were meeting the others for breakfast at 9.30 so had plenty of time to get ready. I scooted out from under Edward, and my heart lifted a little at his moan of protest. I then ran into the bathroom with my iPod and earbuds.

I ran a blisteringly hot bath and stepped inside. I was sore in a good way (it had been a long time since I'd had sex), but hurting in a bad way on the inside. I lay back and popped in my earbuds, resting the iPod on the side of the tub after setting it to play the haunting strains of _Madame Butterfly_ loudly.

As I sat in the tub, I gave way to the tears and sobs I had suppressed when in bed with Edward after he made love to me. I cried for the love I so desperately wanted from him. I cried for the guilt at taking advantage of my dear friend and I cried at the realisation that whether Edward realised he'd made love to me or not, our relationship would never be the same again. I was never going to be able to look at him without thinking without those feelings of guilt.

I sat in the tub sobbing until the water became unbearably cold, and then turned the shower on to warm up again, before getting out, drying off and quickly rubbing moisturiser into my damp skin. I then dressed myself in the giant towelling robe the hotel provided and took a deep breath before going out to face him. When I exited the bathroom, I saw Edward, dressed in his trousers and shirt, sat on the edge of the bed, on my side, cradling a cup of coffee.

"Hey." He pointed at the cup of steaming liquid on the dresser. "I took the liberty of ordering coffee for us both."

"Thanks." I replied awkwardly, picking it up and sitting in the armchair in the corner of the room. I didn't drink any of it though. My stomach was churning. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Ugh. Horribly hungover." He gulped at his coffee. "Look, Bella, last night...did we...umm...?"

I brought my knees to my chest and huddled in the chair.

"Yes." I replied, not looking at him.

"Shit." He rubbed his face and pulled at his already-crazy hair. "I don't remember it, not at all. But when I woke up the bed smelled of sex and you and...did I initiate it?"

I nodded.

"I made you cry, didn't I?" I froze. His face was contorted in anguish. "D-Did...Did I force myself on you? FUCK! What the fuck was I doing? I'm so sorry Bella, I'm so sorry!"

"No, Edward!" His face crumpled further and for a second I thought he was going to cry. "It's OK, you..."

"I'm a monster! How could I do that to you? How could I hurt you like that? You're one of my best friends! I...I ra..."

"Stop Edward! You didn't!" I interrupted, keen to stop his self-loathing rant. "Edward, you didn't force me! Yes you initiated it, but you weren't forceful or aggressive. I could have stopped you, but I didn't." I blurted.

"Why didn't you?"

I didn't answer him, trying to put my feelings into words. How could I tell him that from the moment he laid his hands on me, I had lost all resistance to his touch, that when he was inside me, I felt whole?

"Bella, why didn't you stop me?" He repeated, his voice stronger and more impassioned.

"I didn't want you to stop." I whispered, tears rolling down my cheeks. "It was beautiful." I had started my outpouring so I continued. "_You_ were beautiful. Edward, I'm so sorry. I should have stopped you, but I've had feelings for you for such a long time and when you made a move on me it felt so good that I let you keep going."

"You want me? As more than a friend?" He clarified.

"Yes."

"More or less so now we've actually had sex?"

"More."

"But when I kissed you that New Year, you were so mad at me! You didn't kiss me back!"

"You took me totally by surprise! I didn't have time to kiss you back before you pulled away! And did you ever hear me say that I didn't like it? That I didn't want it?" I cried. "And my reasons for being mad were valid. You knew what you were doing then. You had a girlfriend. You walked off seconds after you kissed me to talk to _her._ You were sober!"

"And because I was drunk, that excuses making love to you even though I'm engaged?"

"I didn't say that. I'm wracked with guilt about not stopping you, about letting you cheat on Heidi with me!"

"I should go." He stood up suddenly and picked up his jacket, shoes and socks.

"Edward..."

"Bella, I'm so confused right now. My whole life's a big clusterfuck and this whole thing that's happened between us adds a whole other level of complicated. I need to talk to Heidi, sort my head out, sort my_ life_ out." He came over and kissed me on the forehead. "I'll be in touch. Can you apologise to Rosalie for me- explain that I had to rush back to London?"

Before I could say anything else, he walked out of the room.

I lay down on the bed where he had lain and inhaled his lingering scent on my pillow. I started to sob once again as the single grain of hope that Edward might have wanted me after last night ebbed away.

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	10. Chapter 10

**AN: As promised, here's the second of two chapters today, Chapter 10. This contains both BPOV and EPOV. **

**Thank you so much for reading, and if you feel so inclined, I would appreciate a review.**

**I don't own Twilight or its original characters. I just torture them in my plot bunnies.**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 10**

The only reason I got through the rest of the weekend in Paris was because I was a lawyer with a damn good poker face. I thought Alice might pick up on it but she was so taken with Paris and all the boutiques that she barely noticed Jasper, let alone me. By the time I got back to Leeds, the intense sorrow and despair I was feeling had given way to a numbness that was almost worse than the pain. I felt dead inside. I didn't hear from Edward at all. I don't know whether I was relieved or devastated by that.

When Siobhan offered me the chance to work with her in Hong Kong a few weeks after the Paris weekend, helping two recently-merged online bookmakers break into the Asian market, I jumped at the chance. Anything to get away for a while. I hardly told anybody- merely putting one single announcement on Facebook a week after I got there. The project escalated into a major work, and the clients asked for me to be retained in the Hong Kong office in order to oversee the first six months of their expansion.

I hesitated at first. Staying on in Hong Kong meant spending Christmas and New Year away from home as I wouldn't be able to take the time off to return to England and I was desperate to see my family, who had all planned to congregate in my parents' house in Southampton. However, when I told my parents, Peter and Charlotte about the opportunity, they told me not to throw it away. Siobhan then told me that if I were to accept I would be promoted to junior executive on my return to the Leeds office, and that I would be paid as an executive whilst in Hong Kong.

I therefore accepted, and within a day of me doing so, Peter had used his generous employee discount to book flights to Hong Kong for my parents, himself, Charlotte and baby Gianna so we could spend Christmas and New Year together. I was so pleased to see them that I shed a few tears of happiness at seeing them.

I had been housed in a luxury three-bedroom penthouse apartment, which was way too big for just me, but with my whole family there for Christmas, it felt warm and cosy. Christmas Day was full of laughter, good food, presents, wine and silly games that were traditional at a Swan family Christmas. Their presence restored some of the warmth to my heart and soul. I was still heartbroken, but I started to feel the first embers of healing.

Renee and I were just finishing the washing up on Christmas night when my personal iPhone beeped with a new email.

_From: Edward Cullen_

_To: Isabella Swan_

_Subject: News_

_Merry Christmas Bella. I heard on the VDI grapevine that you're in Hong Kong. How cool! I hope you like it out there and that you're getting to enjoy yourself._

_Sorry I haven't been in contact. I actually have news myself. I'm going on a sabbatical for a while with my parents to Malawi, to set up school & hospital out there. I need a break from the rat race for a while. I'm actually emailing from Heathrow Airport whilst we're waiting for our flight. _

_I am so sorry about my behaviour in Paris, that I ran away and that I left things between us unresolved. I will be in touch. I promise, but it won't be for a while. So much has happened recently, and I want to my head to be in a better place first. _

_Take care of yourself out there, gorgeous girl. _

_All my love, Edward xxx_

I stood there staring at my phone for ages, completely forgetting that my mother was still in the room.

"Bella? What's wrong." I had also failed to notice the tears streaming down my face. I sniffed and brushed my face.

"What? Nothing, Mum. Nothing."

"Isabella Marie Swan! You may be a hotshot lawyer, but don't think for a second that you can lie to your parents and get away with it. Now tell me what's going on." She placed her hands on my arms and I collapsed against her, sobbing softly before telling her in a shaky voice about Edward.

I felt out quite a few details about what happened in Paris, though. _Those details._ It was still too raw. At night I got flashbacks. When I closed my eyes I saw him hovering over me, ready to make love to me. When I turned on my side, I remembered the feel of his lips against my neck. When I turned onto my back, I was hit by the memory of him kissing and sucking my breast. I had woken up feeling cold and empty every night since Paris because I wasn't surrounded by his embrace. I missed him so much, yet he wasn't mine to miss.

"Oh Bella! Oh my poor child. Come here." Renee hugged me tightly.

"Thanks Mum.".

"What are you going to do?"

"What can I do? He's getting married to someone else."

"Is he? Did he actually tell you he was choosing this Heidi girl over you?"

"No but..."

"Bella, men who are about to get married don't run off to volunteer in Africa. Something's wrong there. Maybe you telling him how you felt has thrown a spanner in the works."

"There's no way. You should see her Mum. She's sexy, beautiful, young and happy to just be a lawyer's wife. That's not me."

"Yes it is! Apart from the bit about just being a lawyer's wife because we all know you're the best lawyer ever. My lovely child, you _are_ beautiful, and you are sexy. And you're not even 30 yet. Still a baby!" She squeezed my cheeks.

"Not helping Mum!"

"Bella, if he feels the same way, he won't marry that girl. If he doesn't he will, simple as that. Give him some time."

"I've lost him, Mum. Our friendship will never be the same. If only I'd let things be."

"I hate to break it to you Bella, but once he got married, your friendship would never have been the same anyway. All the things you do with your platonic male friends now, hanging out etc? Married men do those things with their _wives."_

I tried to deny it. I tried to tell her that things wouldn't have changed at all. I couldn't, though. It might be true for some people but there wasn't even one married male friend of mine that I could think of with whom I still did those things without their wife present.

"See what I mean?" My mother responded to my silence. I nodded my head sadly. "So wait for him. Eventually he'll talk to you. If he still chooses her, then at least you will know for certain and you can move on."

"You're right Mum. Thank you." She smiled her best 'Mum' smile at me before hugging and kissing me goodnight.

-cc-

**EPOV**

Bella. Beautiful, gorgeous, sexy, smart, kind, generous, warm-hearted Bella.

God, I miss her. Thoughts of her invade my mind every waking hour, and most of the night too.

It's been three months since Paris and a month since I left London behind for the shores of Lake Malawi.

Three months since I made love to her in my sleep. Three months since I left Bella huddled in an armchair, tears streaming down her face, just moments after declaring that she cared about me as more than just a friend.

Three months since I made the biggest mistake of my life by walking away instead of telling her that I have loved her for years, probably since the moment I made eye contact with those huge brown Bambi-eyes of hers.

So why did I walk away? Lots of reasons. I was hungover and confused (but that's a crap one). Another was the weight of responsibility. I was engaged to Heidi and I felt an obligation to at least talk to my now-former fiancée. Another was the feeling of being overwhelmed. Here was the girl of my dreams telling me what I had wanted to hear for, well, nearly eight years, and I couldn't handle it. After all, when I kissed her that New Year's Eve over two years ago, she'd yelled at me, told me I shouldn't have done it. So I believed that she didn't want me. Then there was the plain and simple fact that I'm a shit and do not deserve her.

Ever since I met her, Bella has been the girl to whom I compared all the others. She is utterly perfect. And she doesn't even realise. She's so modest but she's the most intelligent, sharpest person I've ever met, as well as the most beautiful. She was first in her class at Cambridge, first in Law School and is climbing up the ladder at VDI faster than an Olympic sprinter. It's well known that she's going to make Executive within the next year. Bella is brilliant, and she deserves a man who is also a shining star.

Me on the other hand, I'm a Cambridge reject (I completely fucked up my interview thanks to a motorcycle accident three weeks before where I nearly killed myself and Emmett), middle of the road at law school and I'm sure I only got my junior associate's position in VDI's Financial Law department by the skin of my teeth because Tanya Denali took a shine to me. And it's a job that I've come to hate.

Don't get me wrong. I love the law, and actually I really like working for Volturi, Denali and Ireland. It's just the corporate environment, the boardroom, the deadlines, the stress, dealing with demanding, upset and anxious clients. That stuff just doesn't come naturally to me and the more responsibility I took on, the more stressed I was getting.

A few weeks after returning from Paris, just after helping to close a big deal with which Tanya Denali was personally involved, I had a full-on panic attack in the break room. Tanya Denali found me. She got me to see the office guidance counsellor, who, after hearing about my break-up with Heidi, my issues around feeling undeserving of Bella and my unhappiness at work, suggested that I needed to take some time out to re-evaluate what I wanted out of life.

He had echoed my parents' advice. My mother Esme and my father Carlisle were heading out to Malawi at Christmas for three months. When the guidance counsellor made the suggestion I take some time off, and agreed to support me in applying for a six-month sabbatical, I decided to go to Malawi with my folks and then spend three months relaxing, travelling and making some decisions.

Tanya Denali was surprisingly agreeable about it, although insisted that I would have to come back to finish the last six months of my junior associate contract in London in June. I knew she had high hopes for me, and was talking about me making the executive rank within the next two to three years, but that thought actually made me sick to my stomach. Being an executive meant taking the lead on cases, more responsibility, more stress. More business, less law. She sees my sabbatical as a means to an end, but I see it as six months to decide what my life's priorities should be, to decide whether I even want to continue as a lawyer.

Malawi has irrevocably changed us all. Whilst Carlisle sets up the clinic, ordering equipment and training staff, Esme, with the assistance of our interpreter Senna, teaches the local women about sexually transmitted infections and contraception. It's simple, basic stuff, but it's so important. It will save lives. I've been helping out by assisting Dad with the clinic and teaching the little kids here how to count and do basic arithmetic, and also helping some of the teenagers to learn about simple economics. It's made me realise the value of a quality education, and it's got me thinking a lot about the ways in which law is taught.

I've also spent time bonding with my parents again. We've always been close but since I moved to London and especially since I started work at VDI, I've hardly spent any time with them. They are the poster couple for the perfect marriage and I've always aspired to have the same. However I've let my fear of being alone overcome my desire to find that perfect person (although I'm sure that person is Bella), so I've rushed into relationships with girls who aren't right, and stuck with them when I wasn't happy.

My mother knows there's more to my break-up with Heidi than the fact that both of us were feeling trapped, but she lets me take my time to tell her.

"What's on your mind, Sweetie?" she asks me, sitting down next to me on the rock overlooking Lake Malawi that has become my favourite spot to think.

"Just...stuff." She raises an eyebrow at me. She's so good at wheedling out the truth from me. I can't hide things from her. "OK, girl stuff."

"Hmmm...anything to do girl named Bella, by any chance?"

"H-how did you know?"

"You've said the name in your sleep a few times." She explains. "Isn't Bella the name of one your friends from law school?"

"Bella's my closest female friend from law school and VDI, and the owner of the most beautiful soul in the world. Mum, she's an absolute angel."

"So, she means more to you than just a friend."

"Yes. But I've always been convinced that she wasn't interested, especially after she yelled at me for kissing her one New Year, but it turns out that she was."

"Was? Not 'is'?"

"Well, probably not now, after I was so awful to her in Paris." I look at my mother sheepishly. Once I'm done telling her the whole drama, she's going to hit me.

"Edward Anthony Cullen, tell me everything!"

So I tell her everything, from the moment I laid eyes on Bella in Leeds seven-and-a-half years ago to the moment I walked out of her hotel room in Paris. I did leave out the details about making love to Bella though. It's my Mum after all. The memories of making love to Bella took a day or two to come back to me after that night, but when they did, they haunted me. Bella in my arms, Bella's skin, Bella's smell, Bella's kisses, Bella's tight wet heat all around me as I moved inside her- I remembered it all, and it had been glorious.

"Oh, Edward!" Esme exclaims when I'm done. "Sweetie, you went back to London? And you only sent her a couple of measly emails since?"

"Yeah..." She slaps me on the back of my head.

"And after all those years of mixed signals? She probably thinks you don't care about her at all!"

"Maybe that's for the best!" I shout. "Mum, Bella deserves so much more than me!"

"Shouldn't that be up to her?" she replies gently. "She obviously sees your good points if she's had feelings for you all this time. If you weren't deserving, she wouldn't feel so strongly. Did you ever think about it like that?"

"No."

"Edward, when will you learn to forgive yourself for the accident?" She says suddenly. Even though we hadn't been talking about it, she knew me well enough to know that it was on my mind. "You were seventeen. It was the only irresponsible thing you've ever done in your entire life. Why do you still torture yourself over it?"

"I could have killed Emmett, Mum. I didn't get into Cambridge because I was still so shaken up about it that I ploughed my interview. I loved university in Leeds but I should have gone to Cambridge. Dad went there, you went there, Grandpa Cullen, Granddad Platt, Bella...I should have gone there too!"

"Bella went there?"

"To Emmanuel College, the college I wanted."

"And because you went to Leeds and she went there, you think you're not worthy?" I nod. "That's bullshit!"

"Mum?" She never swears. Never.

"Cambridge is just a university, Edward. I only went because Granddad Platt insisted. I hated it and so did your father. That's why he finished his medical training in London. What did Bella say about her time there?"

"She called it a 'pressure cooker.'" I admit.

"You got First Class Honours in your degree from Leeds. You got one of only eight sponsorships with VDI. You got your associate's position after fighting off one hundred other lawyers for the job. Why won't you see those things as achievements?"

"I don't know."

"I'm sorry I got mad, Sweetie. It's just you're my wonderful, solid, handsome son, and I wish you could see it. Bella clearly does."

"But I've really messed up, Mum."

"Is she the girl you want Edward? Really, truly?"

Bella is. I love her. When I close my eyes at night, I think of how supportive she's always been of me. I remember how much we have in common, from music to art to books. Once the memories from my night with Bella in Paris came back to me, they were torture because they were tainted by my idiocy. There were memories of her big eyes looking at me as I pleasured her, of her face when she climaxed, of how I'd never felt more at peace than when I was inside her. I imagine what it might be like to live with her, to wake up with her, to marry and have children with her.

"She is. She always has been."

"So when we get back home, do something about it."

And I promise her, and myself, that I will.

My mother made me see that I have been floundering in my own self-pity for too long, not letting myself move on from the mistakes and regrets of my adolescence. In doing so I have prevented myself from getting as close as I've wanted to Bella, the only woman to whom I've ever felt truly connected. I've kept her at arm's length, which, I realise now, must have inexorably hurt her. It is true that Bella never made an obvious pass at me, so I never comprehended the depths of her care from me, but looking back, it was there in every look, every glance, every touch and every single thing she did for me.

I will redeem myself, and prove to both Bella and myself that we belong together.

If it's the last thing I do.

-cc-


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: I know I said that it would be two weeks, but the weather here totally ruined my weekend plans. We had a month's worth of rain in two days and the resultant flooding has meant that I haven't been able to get out of town. **

**Still, the flip side is that I get to post this a week earlier than planned! I've also posted two chapters of the EPOV companion piece 'High Stays the Tide' so if you haven't had a chance to check it out, please do!**

**I don't own Twilight. Lucky Stephenie! I own this story though!**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 11**

My working hours in Hong Kong were long and busy. Twelve hour days were the norm, especially because I was the lead on the project. Siobhan had returned to Leeds so I was by myself, although we conference-called weekly. I made a few friends in the office and in my apartment building but for the most part, I was alone a lot. That's not to say I was unhappy despite the fact that I had hardly heard from Edward. The space and peace was therapeutic in some ways. I knew I would always feel a pull towards Edward, but I could survive, I could thrive without his love.

By early April, the end was in sight for the project, and I was planning to return to England by the end of June. I had found Hong Kong fascinating. I had been able to help on some of the Hong Kong office's other industrial and financial cases, learnt about Asian business models and legal frameworks, and even learnt conversational Cantonese, which was no mean feat. I liked that there was so much to do. It kept me from thinking about _him._

I had replied to Edward's Christmas email with a simple 'Good Luck.' He copied me into generic group emails every few weeks about the project he was working on in Malawi with his parents, and very occasionally a picture of him in the village where they were based, playing football with the local kids or teaching in a makeshift classroom, would appear on Facebook. He looked happy and content. There was no sign of Heidi in the pictures and no mention of her in the emails, but I refused to let those two facts give me hope.

I had remained in the giant penthouse apartment. Navigating the complex world of Hong Kong lettings agents was too much hassle and although it felt too big for me, it was useful having the space. Peter and Charlotte had come to visit me once more with Gianna in tow, as had Alice and Jasper, Seth and his boyfriend Embry, and Angela and Ben, along with their twins.

As the project was starting to draw to a close, I was working fewer late nights, and one Thursday night, not long after Easter, I found myself home at the almost-unheard-of hour of six pm. I collected my mail from the concierge and by 6.10pm I was in slob clothes in front of the TV with a glass of Chablis in my hand. I placed the post on the coffee table and in front of re-runs of _Friends_ I worked my way through the letters.

First was an invitation to the wedding of Tyler, Edward's former colleague from Mergers and Acquisitions, to his long-time girlfriend Lauren. Tyler and I had become fairly good friends when I was working in London, but I was still surprised to get an invite to the ceremony in mid-June. I was going to have to decline unfortunately, as I was likely to still be in Hong Kong then.

Next was a card from Alice with pictures of their new house inside. She had taken to sending me things by snail mail instead of emailing recently.

_Hello Bestie Bella!_

_As you can see, the house is still a bit of a wreck but the flooring and walls are all done, the kitchen and bathrooms are all done and all we have to do is the decorating. Jasper has finally agreed to my green, pink and white theme for the bedroom! He says hi by the way! _

_Miss you lots! _

_Alice _

Next came a couple of letters that Seth had forwarded. He was looking after my house in Leeds for me while I was gone and I had asked him to send me anything that seemed important. It took Seth a couple of months to realise that underwear catalogues and invitations to Cambridge University alumni parties weren't what I considered important, but he got it now.

Lastly was a thick white envelope, sent from London. At first I thought it was another wedding invitation but when I opened it, inside were another smaller blue envelope and a single sheet of paper.

_Dear Bella_

_Edward asked me to get this to you. He wrote us too but didn't have an address for you in Hong Kong. Sorry it's taken a little while for me to send it to you but based on the letter he sent us, it's probably nothing important._

_Come home soon Chick. I miss my gourmet restaurant buddy. Emmett doesn't consider it food unless it's covered in cheese and the skinny bitches round here scream if I even mention a food containing carbs._

_Rosalie _

I stared at the blue envelope with Edward's long sweeping handwriting and the Malawi postmark for a full minute before finally opening it, my heart hammering in my ears. It was dated 10th March, little over a month ago.

_Dearest Bella, _

_How are you, Gorgeous one? I understand you're still in Hong Kong. When do you return home?_

_Working in Malawi has been the most rewarding experience of my life. Dad has been helping to set up a new free clinic here, whilst Mum has been setting up a small school and helping the (too few) nurses educate local women about contraception, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. It's a real problem out here. I've been helping the both of them, but also doing some teaching. I've been teaching little kids basic numeracy and also teaching some of the local teenagers about basic business studies._

_This country is one of the poorest in the world, and by God, you can see it and feel it. It is densely populated and growing exponentially. The people live hand-to-mouth. They have literally nothing. Yet they always find something to smile about and are so warm and welcoming. They call me a local word which translates as 'Firehead.' It's because the sun here has made my hair lighter in colour so it's more red than brown. Mum and Dad haven't gotten away without nicknames either. Dad, whose hair is blond, is 'Golden One' and Mum is 'Cuddles' because she's so affectionate. _

_As much as I've loved my time here, I am looking forward to returning back to running water and reliable electricity. We're heading back to England at the end of March, but I don't start work again until mid-June. VDI gave me a full six months off, which has been very welcome. I was burning out. Looking back, it was a lot to do with work but also a lot to do with the stress of being in a relationship with someone who wasn't the right person for me. Can you see where I'm going with this...? That's right. Heidi and I split up. And that's a good thing. A very good thing._

_I won't go into all the gory details here. It's definitely a conversation that should be done face-to-face, probably over copious amounts of alcohol...which brings me to my next question. Please can I come to see you? If you're still in Hong Kong, I'll fly out. If you're in Leeds, I'll jump on a train. Wherever you are, I'll come to you. We really need to talk about what happened in Paris._

_I miss you Bella. So much. I miss your beautiful face. I miss talking to you. I miss your kind heart. I have thought about you every single day since I walked away from you. _

_Please email me when you get this and let me know what you think about me coming over, even if the answer's negative (and I'll understand if it is, although I'm hoping you'll give me a chance)._

_All my love_

_Edward xxx_

Aaagh! Unsurprisingly, Edward's letter sent me into a complete tailspin. I was supremely pissed that a month had gone by since he wrote the letter. It should have been here weeks ago! I probably should have been mad at him for Paris, perhaps even told him to take a hike, but I couldn't. I was desperate to see him. I had taken my mother's advice to heart and she had been proven right about him and Heidi. This time I was not letting him go without a fight. I grabbed my laptop to email him.

_From: Isabella Swan_

_To: Edward Cullen_

_Subject: A reply to your letter_

_Dear Edward, _

_I only just got your letter today. Of course you can come to see me, if you still want to. You can come any time you like. I'm in Hong Kong until the end of June, and then I'm returning to Leeds._

_Bella xxx_

_PS: You're right. We do need to talk about what happened in Paris._

_PPS: I miss you too. So much. _

At the end of my email I added my work and home addresses in Hong Kong, and my local telephone numbers. After I hit 'Send' I grabbed one of my throw cushions and screamed into it. I was going to see Edward again, and he was now _single._ However, my initial excitement gave way to worry pretty quickly.

_We really need to talk about what happened in Paris. _

What was he going to say? What had happened with Heidi? The tone of his letter was warm and he had said that he missed me, so I didn't think he was angry with me. Was he going to tell me that he wanted me? _No Bella, don't get your hopes up_. Maybe he'd met another girl in Malawi. Maybe he was going to tell me that nothing would ever happen between us other than friendship.

I spent the night worrying, then feeling hopeful, then worrying again. For the first time in three months, I experienced the flashbacks to the night in Paris when I tried to sleep. The next morning, I woke up with a pounding headache and big bags under my eyes. It took an awful lot of Touche Eclat to hide them and make me look respectable for work.

At the VDI office in downtown Hong Kong, I had been allowed to have an office and conference room of my own despite still being, technically, an associate. This was because I needed to have space to brief the other members of the team or the clients with very little notice, and also because of the amount of paperwork the case had generated.

My lovely and ridiculously efficient assistant Mei-Ling took one look at me that morning and brought me two Danish pastries and a vat of hazelnut coffee before she let me anywhere near the work. Once the caffeine and carbs kicked in, I was mostly back to my usual self and managed to get through a significant amount of work, including a lunch meeting with the clients and a conference call with Siobhan and Liam, who were in Dublin, by 4pm. I was also very proud that I had not checked my personal email once during the workday to see if Edward had emailed me back.

I was just wrapping up some amendments to the clients' new corporate constitution documents when my office phone rang, the display indicating that it was Mei-Ling, which was unusual. Mei-Ling hardly ever used it, choosing instead to walk over from her desk on the main floor most of the time.

"Yes Mei-Ling?"

"_Sorry to bother you Bella. You have a, um, visitor."_

"Who is it?" I wasn't expecting anyone. I did my utmost not to schedule meetings on a Friday afternoon because if anything important arose from them, I and the rest of the team would be stuck at work late on a Friday night, when nobody's head was in a productive frame of mind.

"_He won't say his name. He says it's a surprise." _

I was intrigued. I got up from my desk, stuck my head out of the door and looked out across the open-plan office towards Mei-Ling's desk. Standing there by Mei-Ling's desk facing the other side of the office was a tall figure with a wild head of bronze hair, dressed in dark-wash jeans and a fitted casual black jacket. Every single woman (and quite a few men) in the office was staring at him.

Edward.

Edward was here.

Edward was _here? _

I gasped, and even though he couldn't possibly have heard me from across the large office, over the buzz of activity, he turned in my direction and broke out into a big grin. Before I even knew what I was doing, I was running down the corridor. He let me come towards him, his arms outstretched. Just before I got to him, in typical Bella style, I tripped and went flying but he caught me and gathered me into his arms.

"Bella." He sighed, as he picked me up and spun me round. _He's here. He's here for me. He's come to Hong Kong. For me._

"Edward!" I tucked my head into the crook of his neck and let him rock me gently for a minute. He smelled so wonderful, my head spun a little. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes but I swallowed hard to hold them back.

"Uh-hmm." We were interrupted by a discreet throat-clearing. Edward put me down and we turned towards Mei-Ling, his arm still around my waist.

"Mei-Ling, this is Edward Cullen. Edward, this is my assistant Mei-Ling."

"Nice to meet you." He beamed at her and she blushed deeply and looked away.

"Mei-Ling, please could you hold my calls?" She nodded, apparently too affected by the Cullen Dazzler to speak.

Edward followed me back to my office and once I'd shut the door, pulled me into his embrace once again.

"God I missed you!" He exclaimed as he let me go, just after kissing my forehead.

"I missed you too." I replied. "What are you doing here?"

"You said I could visit any time I liked." He replied, smirking.

"I sent that email less than 24 hours ago! What, did you read it and then just jump on a plane?" I asked, sitting down on the sofa in my office, and gesturing for him to do the same.

"Yes." He picked up my hand and cupped it between both of his. "Bella, I couldn't wait to see you. When I got back home from Malawi and saw that you hadn't emailed in reply to my letter, it was torture. I thought you hated me. I eventually phoned Emmett and Rosalie and Rosalie told me that she'd only got round it to sending it on Monday."

He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it softly, causing me to whimper very softly. I don't know if he heard it.

"When I got your email, I literally jumped for joy. I packed a bag, got a lift to Heathrow Airport from my mother and on the way booked myself onto the first flight out that had space."

"Edward." I moved closer towards him. "Why would you think I hated you? "If anything, I thought you hated me." He looked confused.

"What? Bella..." we were interrupted by the ringing of my office phone.

"Hold that thought, OK?" He nodded and I got up to answer it.

"_Bella I'm so sorry. It's urgent." _Mei-Ling sounded very apologetic.

"Fine." Mei-Ling went on to explain why she'd rung. One of the clients had found a problem with the first draft of the new constitutional documents that we hadn't discussed at lunch and wanted me to phone him immediately. "Edward I'm so sorry. I have to phone a client urgently."

"No problem. Can you meet me at my hotel later? The Four Seasons, room 3315. I've got my mobile with me if you need to call me."

"Of course. Hopefully I won't be too long."

"I've waited this long, I can wait a bit longer." He smiled, and pulled me towards him for a hug and a soft kiss on my temple. "Bye."

"Bye." He smiled at me once more as he let me go and walked out. I took a quick moment to hold myself in glee before calming down enough to call the client.

An hour later, after I had listened to my slightly hysterical client, reassured him that I was already aware of and amending the term he had a problem with, sent him the amendment and had another girly-squeally moment about Edward, I managed to leave the office and head over to Edward's hotel, the best in Hong Kong. On the short walk there, I remembered the promise I made to myself when he first got together with Heidi, and what my mother had said at Christmas. He was here to see me, and this time I wasn't going to let him go without him knowing how strongly I felt about him, and that I'd do anything to try to make things work, if that was what he wanted.

-cc-

**AN: Sorry to end it there! The next chapter will be up this time next week. **


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Hi everyone! Lots of positive responses for the last chapter- I'm glad you liked it and sorry to leave you with a cliffie! I hope this chapter rectifies that a little. **

**Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed and those who have added me to favourites and alerts. It means a lot to me that there are lovely people enjoying my writing. **

**I don't own Twilight or its original characters. I've just given them new jobs, new homes and new dramas.**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 12**

"Bella." Edward took my hand and escorted me into his luxury hotel suite, which had floor-to-ceiling views of Victoria Harbour and Kowloon. "I thought you'd take much longer!"

"I managed to wrap things up pretty quickly. You're a good incentive to be efficient." I replied, squeezing his hand and smiling at him. He grinned back and showed me to the seating area.

"You've always been efficient. It's not really any surprise that you're on the fast-track to becoming an executive. Me on the other hand..."

"You're a brilliant lawyer Edward. It's only out of sheer dumb luck that I've managed to jump a couple of steps."

"Always so modest, aren't you Gorgeous? Top of the class in Cambridge and at law school, and the brightest spark at VDI, but still you put it down to luck. You deserve your success, Bella." My cheeks flamed with a blush and I bit my lip at his compliments.

"Thanks. But Edward, why are you so down on your abilities? I know from Siobhan Ireland- she tells me all the partners' gossip- that Tanya Denali intends to promote you early. She wants to get you to executive level within the next two years." He shrugged.

"Yeah, but I don't know if that's what I want. I'm not sure I want to stay in Finance. I'm not sure I want to stay in London." He took in my shocked face. Edward had always seemed so comfortable in London, like he relished the fast pace and buzzing atmosphere.

"What made you decide to go out to Malawi? It seemed to happen so fast."

"It kind of did." He agreed. "I was feeling really overwhelmed after Paris and the break-up with Heidi but also about work. Long story short, I ended up seeing the guidance counsellor at the London City Office and she suggested that I take a sabbatical to sort out my head about work, about you and about some of my issues around the way I see myself. Mum and Dad were going to Malawi anyway as they had just found out that the charity that they've been involved with for years had raised the money to build a clinic and school and had asked them if they wanted to lead the project."

"And you decided to go too?"

"Yeah. And I'm so glad I did." He grinned at me. I remembered the photos of him I'd seen on Facebook of him in Malawi. He had looked so carefree. My heart swelled a little to know he was in a better place.

There was a lull in the conversation. I took a deep breath and prepared myself to ask him about Heidi.

"Can we talk about the break-up? He nodded.

"It was sort of mutual. After Paris, I went round to break up with her to find her letting some guy paw at her and her new breasts. I asked her if she really wanted to marry me and she told me that I was boring and old and she only said she wanted to marry me because her father thought I was good husband material."

"Wow. She is very young, and I guess her attitude proves it."

"_Too_ young. And too spoilt. She used to throw toddler-like tantrums if she didn't get her way. She wants to become a model, the main reason for the boob job. The guy, he was her 'agent.' I tried to gently point out that it was a really competitive industry, and she took that to mean that I thought she wasn't pretty enough. It just highlighted that she was the wrong girl for me. I hated how shallow she could be."

"Still, it must have been tough, breaking up, losing your fiancée." He shrugged.

"I wasn't especially bothered about losing Heidi, if I'm honest. I was more devastated about the fact that I'd wasted nearly two and a half years of my life with the wrong girl, just like I'd wasted over three years with Jessica. I went on the trip to Malawi in great part to help me sort out my priorities."

"And did you manage to do that?"

"Well I'm still a bit uncertain about what I want career-wise, but when it comes to girls, I know exactly what I want. And who I want it with." He looked straight at me and my heart stuttered. The air seemed to crackle between us. "But I did something terrible and I think I may have ruined my chances with her." He held my hand again.

"Edward, who are you talking about?" I asked, suddenly concerned he wasn't talking about me after all.

"You, Gorgeous. You." He brushed a loose tendril of hair away from my face, stroked my cheek and cupped my face with one hand. "Bella, I want you."

_He wants me. _I closed my eyes.

"Say it again."

"Bella, I want you. So much." His thumb brushed across my cheek again, this time picking up the solitary tear that trickled from my eye. "I know I have no right to ask you anything after leaving you like that in Paris, but do you think you could find it in your heart to forgive me and maybe give us a chance?"

I covered his hand with mine and moved it away from my face, but held onto it.

"Did you not get how I feel from the way I fell into your arms at my office? You were forgiven the moment I laid eyes on you, if not before." He squeezed my hand but still seemed tormented.

"But I hurt you. I made you cry. I left you after you opened your heart to me."

I scooted even closer to him, so that our thighs were touching and waited for him to continue.

"Paris. You were crying in the bathroom. I heard you." He gulped loudly. "I woke up with a monstrous hangover, confused about where I was and why I felt like I'd just had the best sex of my life. Then I realised that there was a wet patch and that I smelled of sex and of you. I figured we must have slept together but I couldn't remember it right away. I went to knock on the bathroom door to see if you were OK and ask what happened, but then I heard you sobbing, and was so worried that I..." his voice dropped to a whisper. "...that I must have forced myself on you, or at least made you feel like you had no choice. I was so shocked when you told me that you'd not wanted me to stop, that you enjoyed it and that you had feelings for me. My stomach was churning, my head was pounding and all of these emotions were swirling around, that I practically ran back to London."

"Edward, you didn't do anything to me that I didn't want you to do. I was crying because I'd just been made love to by the man of my dreams but thought that he thought I was his fiancée. You'd sleep-sexed me thinking I was Heidi, and felt guilty that I'd let you. That _I'd_ taken advantage of _you."_

"Bella. I didn't think you were Heidi! I knew it was you. I wouldn't have touched you if I was sober and had full control over my innermost desires, but I knew it was you. And when the memories came back to me, the thing I remembered most was that you felt so good. So goddamned good." He leaned forward so that our foreheads were touching. "Gorgeous one, I've wanted you for the longest time."

"Since when?" I murmured. By now I was practically sat in his lap. "Since before Heidi?"

"Since before Jessica. Probably since the moment I laid eyes on you, if I'm being honest. You looked at me with those big eyes of yours and I just turned into mush. I thought you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen."

I felt all the years of suppressed desire and frustration and pain and heartbreak bubble up from deep inside me.

"Why didn't you say anything? I felt the same way! The same way!" I hit his chest with my fists before bursting into tears. His arms came around me and held me tight.

"Shh...Bella... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He cradled me against him and let me cry for a while, occasionally ghosting my temples with his lips.

"At first it was because I was with Victoria, but then it was because I never thought you would ever feel the same way and you never gave me any signals that you wanted me, although looking back, I realise that they were there, just much more subtle than other girl. I want you to know that I've always been utterly smitten with you. Every time I worked up to telling you how I felt..." he started to whisper in my ear. "...something or someone would get in the way." He stroked my hair.

"The more I got to know you, the harder it became to try to tell you I wanted more, because I was scared I'd lose you as a friend. You've always been a rock for me and I didn't want to jeopardise that."

"I know _exactly_ what you mean." I mumbled through my tears. I felt his soft kiss at my earlobe.

"I told myself not to be so stupid, that a girl so good, so beautiful, so pure, so clever, would never want an idiot like me and I tried to distract myself with other girls. I told myself 'You don't want Bella, you want Jessica. You don't want Bella, you want Heidi. For a while I believed it but then you'd do something or say something or wear something...'" He half-smiled to himself. "...It's always been you Gorgeous. I know you deserve better than me but please give me a chance."

I managed to calm my sobs but didn't move. He started raining small kisses all over my forehead and temple, and then wiped the last of my tears from my cheeks.

"Bella, I don't want to pressure you into anything but I want you to know how I feel..." I silenced him by kissing him lightly on the lips and moulding myself to him. He immediately responded by deepening our kiss, and I let the tip of my tongue enter his soft, warm mouth to meet his. He tasted of honey and toothpaste and something else lovely that was unique to him. His...Edward-ness. It was heaven.

"I feel the same." I told him against his lips before opening my eyes just in time to see his glittery green orbs widen. He smiled widely against my mouth and brushed his lips against mine.

"Since when?"

"Probably since the moment we met." Another kiss. Each one sent a rush right through me.

"What about Jake? You were with him for almost the whole of law school. We all thought you guys were going to get married." I shook my head.

"I did love him, in the same way I think you loved Jess, but my feelings for him never compared to how I feel about you. He was a consolation prize when you got together with Jess. He was absolutely right to end it before we got in any deeper." To my surprise Edward moved backwards slightly, putting a bit of distance between us.

"You didn't get together with Jake until after I was with Jessica?" I shook my head.

"No. It was a month or so later. I had been holding out for you."

"Motherfucking...shit!" He exclaimed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Edward?"

"I only asked Jessica out because I heard you were head over heels for Jake from Kate. She said you'd been getting it on with Jake for ages. I thought that if Jake was your type, super tall, dark, stacked...then I'd have no chance with you. Kate suggested that Jess liked me so after debating it for a while, I just asked her out."

It was so ironic I started laughing.

"Bella?"

"I'm sorry. I only got together with Jake after finding out about you going out with Jess from Kate. I came home and was in tears on the sofa when Jake came home. He tried to comfort me and I ended up kissing him because I thought that if you didn't want me, he was the next best thing."

"Bloody Kate. She just doesn't think. She gets an idea in her head and just runs with it. Do you know, she once kissed me just to make Garrett jealous?"

"Grr...I knew you guys kissed. I didn't know she'd initiated it. Man, I was so pissed off that night. I'd spent the a half hour in the loos psyching myself up to telling you that I was into you and when I came out, there you were snogging Kate. I left in a right huff."

I pulled him back towards me and kissed him hard, getting my tongue in there early. His arms came right round me and before I knew it, I was lying on the sofa with Edward on top of me and we were making out like horny teenagers.

"Well...!" I tried to get my breath back. Making out with Edward was my new favourite pastime.

"If you were trying to erase the memory of Kate or any other girl's kiss in my mind, you definitely succeeded, Gorgeous."

"Good." He got up off me and pulled me to a sitting position. I leaned forward to kiss him again but he stopped me.

"So, Miss Swan, please will you go out with me?"

"What...Edward..."

"Humour me, Bella. I want to get to know you, romantically."

"You want to...woo me?"

"Yeah..." He ran his hand through his hair. "Take you out for dinner, walk with you in the moonlight, go dancing with you, something I'm desperate to do, by the way. I want that part of our relationship to develop rather than be assumed."

"OK, I'll bite. Yes Mr Cullen, I would love to go out with you. What did you have in mind?"

-cc-

I floated home after the revealing and intense conversation Edward and I had had in his hotel suite.

_He wants me. He came to Hong Kong for me._

I ran to my bedroom, changed out of my grey pinstriped skirt suit and donned a sleeveless 50s-style red belted shirt-dress and matched it with black peep-toe high-heels. I quickly reapplied my make-up, grabbed a black sequinned wrap and stuffed a few essentials into the glamorous oversized black patent leather handbag Alice had got me for my birthday, before heading back to the Four Seasons, where Edward and I were meeting in the hotel's gourmet Cantonese restaurant.

"Bella, you look stunning. So beautiful." He kissed me lightly on the cheek. He didn't look so bad himself, dressed in a sharp, very tailored shiny dark grey Dolce and Gabbana suit with a skinny grey and white striped tie. He was the epitome of male hotness.

"Right back at you."

"This way please Sir, Ma'am." Edward placed his hand in the small of my back as we followed the host to our table, tucked in the far corner of the restaurant, but next to the window overlooking the harbour.

We spent a few minutes talking about wine and the food before deciding on a crisp white Riesling and the Chef's Special menu.

"So how long can you stay in Hong Kong?" I asked, once our wine had been poured and our meal ordered.

"I have an open return so I'm flexible. How long can you put up with me?"

"You know you can stay as long as you like, right?" He grinned and squeezed my hand.

"Thank you. I had planned to stay a week, depending on what happened between us. However, if you'll have me, I would like to stay longer." I nodded enthusiastically. "I will need to head back to London by the beginning of June." Internally I was doing a happy dance at the possibility of him staying for over six weeks. "I'm going to Tyler's wedding on the 11th, and I'm supposed to be starting back at VDI on the 20th."

"Your birthday?"

"Yeah. It's a shame but I have a feeling I won't be feeling much like celebrating anyway." He gripped my hand over the table. "Not unless you're there." He leaned towards me and kissed me softly. "You're the only birthday present I want." I blushed deeply.

"Well, I guess you've got that one early." I replied quietly. He ran the back of his finger against my hot skin over my cheek.

Our starters arrived and they were sublime. Edward and I shared barbecue honey pork, shrimp with chilli and some crispy corn fritters.

"I don't suppose there's any chance of you taking any time off is there? It would be great if you could show me round." Edward asked as he picked up the last piece of shrimp with his chopsticks.

"Actually I do have several days of leave left and I was planning to take them in the next few weeks. I was thinking about going out to Macau on the ferry for a few days, but hadn't decided about the rest of my time off." Edward, instead of eating the shrimp, offered it to me. I ate it off his chopsticks and blushed as I noticed his eyes were fixed on my mouth.

"Would you mind if I came with you to Macau?" I casually picked up a small piece of the pork and offered it to him. He grinned and pulled it off my chopsticks, chewing then licking his lips. _Yummy. _

"No not at all! I'd love it!"

"Great!" He squeezed my thigh gently. "I can't wait."

The rest of the meal was as exquisite as the starters, from the lobster in plum sauce to the braised beef with spring onions and black beans, but by the time we were having jasmine tea and petit fours, I was simmering with want for Edward. We had continued feeding each other intermittently throughout the meal and I was turned on beyond belief.

"So Bella, what are your plans for the weekend?" Edward asked.

"I didn't actually have anything fixed, so I'm um, all yours..." I replied, my voice slightly hoarse. Feeling emboldened by the wine, I removed one foot from my shoe and started running it up his calf. I wasn't usually that wanton but I couldn't seem to help myself now that I knew how he felt.

"Fuuuck..." he hissed under his breath. "Bella, you are going to be the death of me." He caught my ankle under the table and caressed my foot. "You're making it very hard for me to implement my 'take things slow and woo Bella' plan."

"Edward, you have me, Handsome." I reached for his other hand. "We can do all those things, the walks under the moonlight, the dancing in each others' arms. You've spent the past eight years wooing me, you just didn't realise it."

"I just want to start this right, because I don't want it mess this up. I don't want to lose you. I _can't_ lose you."

"You won't." I leaned forward, taking my foot out of his lap, and rested my cheek against his. "God, the way you make me feel, Edward...you set me on fire. But if you really need to take this slow, then that's what we'll do. Although I might spontaneously combust..."

"I'm sure of how I feel about you Bella and I want to be with you so much, but as much as we know each other as friends, we don't know each other romantically. I think we need to let that part of our relationship develop too. Does that make sense?"

He did have a point. I was reminded of how Jessica described Edward when they first split up and how hard it was to hear that he wasn't perfect. Even though her view was somewhat skewed, it did highlight that there were aspects of Edward I didn't know. And there were aspects of me that he didn't know either.

"Yes, it does." I sighed as I reluctantly agreed. "Doesn't mean my hormones are happy about it though." I pouted.

He grinned and leaned over to kiss my pout.

"Neither are mine, Gorgeous. Believe me." He kissed me again. "Just give us a little time, OK."

"OK."

We spent the rest of the weekend lounging at the hotel, sipping cocktails and hanging out by the infinity pool, playing billiards in one of the hotel bars and having delicious dinners in the hotel's many gourmet restaurants. But each night, after many, many kisses that were becoming more and more heated, I went home to my own bed, and my own vibrator. I nearly cried on the Sunday night at the thought of returning to work the next morning and not getting to spend the day with him.

"It's OK, it will be all OK." I was curled against him on his lap, sat on the sofa in his hotel suite. "I'll be waiting for you when you finish work." He told me.

"I know. Sorry for being such a pathetic girl. I just don't want this weekend to end. I feel like if I let you out of my sight, you're going to disappear." I hated feeling and sounding so needy, but Edward didn't seem to mind.

"Bella, my darling girl. I'm in this for the long haul. I promise. I don't want to let you out of my sight either!"

"How long have you got this hotel room for?" I asked, an idea starting to form in my mind.

"Until Friday morning, although they already told me that it won't be a problem to extend." He replied, looking a little confused at my sudden change of subject.

"Don't."

"What? Why...?"

"How about we go out to Macau on Friday for a week? I can wrap up the pieces of work I'm doing over the next few days, and then take the time off I'm owed early so that we can go exploring."

"I love that idea!" He exclaimed. "I'll start looking into hotels and ferry times in the morning!"

"Well, don't worry about the hotel. One of my clients part-owns a really cute boutique hotel in Macau and has pretty much guaranteed that I can stay whenever I want, and will give me a heavy discount off the rack rate. So it's just a matter of deciding on a ferry time."

"Fantastic!" I got rewarded with lots more kisses.

Suddenly, with the prospect of a whole week with Edward to look forward to, a few days at work didn't seem that bad.

-cc-

**AN: Love it? Hate it? I would love to know what you think! **


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Hello all! I hope you've been having a good week! Thanks to all of you for reading and especially to those of you who reviewed!**

**This is the first of two chapters today, and I'm also publishing two chapters of the EPOV companion piece 'High Stays the Tide.' I hope you like them!**

**I don't own Twilight or its characters, but I do own this story. That counts for something, right?**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 13**

Our enthusiasm for our holiday to Macau continued to grow over the next week, and by the time we boarded the ferry, we were both so excited. We were thrilled to be having a whole week together, even though we were still, _still_, not having sex.

Our hotel, which was called Pousada de Mong-Ha, was a former 19th Century battle fortress at the top of a hill on the Macau Peninsula, set in beautiful gardens featuring large leafy trees and a pond with water lilies. The small hotel was decorated with simple, elegant and slightly quirky blue and white Portuguese-influenced painted tiles, and our huge suite (with two separate queen beds- grr!) featured classic Chinese carved and painted wooden furniture, highlighting the twin Portuguese and Chinese influences in Macau. It was so peaceful. Outside the walls of the Pousada, there was the hustle, bustle noise and drama of tourists and Macanese folk but inside, there was calm. I was glad that we weren't in a big skyscraper hotel. The Pousada felt more intimate.

Edward, whilst I was at work, had spent ages researching things to do and places to see, and from the moment we set foot in Macau, he had an itinerary. I had never thought of Edward as being such a planner but he was actually borderline-obsessive about it. I didn't mind it at first but after three days of exploring Buddhist temples, colonial market squares, esoteric museums and quirky churches, I was exhausted.

"But Bella, it's a wine museum! Doesn't that sound cool?"

We had just returned from a walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage site on the Macau Peninsula, taking in numerous historical sites, and were having a late lunch in the gardens of the Pousada.

"It does, Handsome, but I'm shattered. There's only so much sightseeing a girl can do! Can we see the Wine Museum tomorrow?"

Of course, my darling." He leant across the picnic table to kiss me. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise I was wearing you out."

"That's OK. I love your enthusiasm but I just need a bit of down-time."

"I understand. Do you think you'd still be up for going out tonight though? I had something special planned..." He looked sheepish.

"Oh? I thought we were just going to the MGM tonight. Dinner buffet and blackjack tables, right?" Macau was famous for its casinos- the Las Vegas of the Far East.

"Ah, no. The tour guide suggested another place to go which I thought sounded rather great."

"Where?" I asked.

"I want to keep it a surprise. Please?" He stuck out his bottom lip in an adorable pout and blinked his eyes a few times. How could I refuse such a face?

"All right." I agreed, intrigued.

We spent the next three hours lying on the grass by the lily pond, reading each other articles from the imported English newspaper the hotel provided and telling each other random stories from our childhoods. It was the peace and quiet I needed. I loved spending time with Edward like this and he had been right when he insisted that we needed time to bond before giving way to our hormones.

At 6pm, Edward got up and told me to wait 10 minutes before going up to the room. He also told me to be ready in by 7pm, and to wear 'something pretty'. I was about to protest at his departure but I decided not to. He clearly had plans and I'd already interrupted them once today. So I did as he asked and precisely 10 minutes after he left, I headed up to our suite.

When I walked in, a bouquet of calla lilies were sat on the coffee table, with a card attached.

_No flower could ever match your beauty, my Bella, but I thought these came close._

_See you very soon, my darling._

_Love your Edward xxx_

It was such a romantic gesture. I went weak at the knees. How could I not?

I quickly scanned through the clothes I'd brought with me and finally decided that my prettiest outfit was the red sleeveless shirt-dress and black peep-toe pumps I'd worn on my first 'date' with Edward at The Four Seasons. I didn't actually own that many non-work dresses, as I tended to rely on Alice finding me something from her vast collection when an occasion called for 'something pretty', as Edward put it.

I quickly straightened my hair which had frizzed up thanks to the Macanese humidity, and curled the ends with the irons. I then put it into a half-ponytail and as an afterthought pinned one of the smaller calla lilies into the side. After applying some light make-up and spritzing myself with some of my favourite freesia perfume I was ready.

At exactly 7pm, there was a knock on the door. It was Edward, unsurprisingly. He was dressed in the same D&G suit that he'd worn on our first 'date'. I guess great minds think alike.

"Hey!"

"Hello my darling." He looked me up and down before bringing his eyes back to mine. They looked...hungry. Yearning, almost. "You look divine in that outfit. So beautiful." He leant forwards to kiss the side of my mouth and spotted the calla lily in my hair. "I take it you liked the flowers."

"Yes." I responded simply, suddenly feeling a little shy. There was something different in the atmosphere between us. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but suddenly, he made me nervous.

"Shall we?" I nodded and let him take me by the arm.

He guided me out of the hotel's main entrance and into a waiting taxi. The short ten-minute ride took us past the big hotels and casinos and along the seafront before stopping at a taxi rank in front of a large house with white-washed walls.

To my surprise, though, when we got out of the car, we didn't go into the house. Instead Edward led me down some stone steps to one side of the house. As we descended, I became aware of a delicious spicy smell and the strains of an old Stevie Wonder track being played. A minute later we were stood opposite two large wooden barns that sat right on the beach. One was clearly a restaurant and bar, which despite the fact that it was quite early in the evening, was heaving. People, mostly locals, spilled out of the terrace and onto the beach and path. The other looked like a dance hall, with a few couples dancing along to the music. I was thrilled. This seemed like much more fun than our original plan.

"What do you think? If you hate it we can still go to the MGM."

"I love it! This was the place the tour guide recommended?"

"Yeah. He said the food served is Portuguese and absolutely fantastic. They don't have a menu so it's a question of turning up and being surprised with whatever they put in front of you. It's one of the best kept secrets in Macau, as is the club next door." Edward eyed the crowd. "He wasn't kidding when he said to come early! Apparently they don't take reservations, so we'll have to wait."

"That's fine." We made our way into the bar area and I immediately spotted a tall table that was becoming free at one edge of the balcony that opened out onto the beach. "I'll grab that table. You grab us some drinks."

"Sure, Gorgeous. Beer OK?"

"Yep." I quickly made my way to the table and managed to nab it as its previous occupants left. I glanced back at the bar where Edward was waiting patiently to be served. He was going to be a few minutes so I turned my attention to the beach. There were a few people walking along the sand, a couple of kids playing with a kite and a couple of dogs frolicking. I got quite absorbed in my people watching so jumped when a hand touched the small of my back.

"Oh, Handsome I..." However when I turned round, it wasn't Edward. It was a sweaty, very drunk Chinese businessman dressed in a dirty cream linen suit who was leering at me. I shuddered. He was very creepy. He made my skin crawl.

"You nice. You come now?" He started to pull at my arm.

"What? No!" I shook him off. "I'm here with my boyfriend!" He started talking rapidly and my conversational Cantonese wasn't good enough to understand him. He then tried to put his hands on me again.

"I pay dollar! I pay dollar!" He pulled out a wad of US Dollars from his pocket.

"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF MY GIRLFRIEND!" I suddenly found myself clutched against Edward's side, and he tilted his other shoulder so it was between us and the man. Edward's almond-shaped green eyes were blazing with anger and his already hard, lean body was rigid. "MINE!" The businessman, who was a good six inches shorter than Edward, slunk away.

"Edward, I'm so sorry! He..."

"Are you OK, my darling? Did he hurt you?" He asked frantically. I shook my head and he let out a deep breath. He pulled me into his arms so my chest was flush with his. I nuzzled into his neck for a moment before looking up. When I did, he kissed my forehead before kissing my lips tenderly. "I saw him approach you but had to fight through the crowd to get to you. If he had, I swear to God I..."

"He didn't. I'm fine." Damn. Possessive Edward was hot! My nipples tightened at that thought.

"Are you OK Miss?" A kind-looking Macanese lady in her mid-50s had come over holding two bottles of local beer. "He's been here for the past three nights but that's the first time he's ever done that!" She told us in fluent but heavily-accented English.

"I'm fine, thank you." She smiled kindly as I took the beer from her.

"Please have these, on the house, and we'll get you a table in the restaurant as soon as possible."

"You need to ban that guy from your restaurant!" Edward blurted out. "He can't go around propositioning women like that! He suggested that my girlfriend was a prostitute!" He ranted.

"We will sir. Definitely." The lady scuttled away, clearly taken aback by Edward's outburst. When she left I held Edward again, who was trembling slightly.

"Shh...Calm down Baby. It's OK." His arms wrapped round me like a vice. "He's gone. Let's enjoy our evening. Please? Please?" He took some deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling into my hair deeply. After a moment or two he started to relax.

"I'm sorry. I just saw red. When I get angry like that, and it doesn't happen very often, it takes me a little while to settle. But I'm OK now." He smiled at me and kissed me again.

Within ten minutes the hostess had seated us at a table in the restaurant right on the beachfront terrace and given us another round of free drinks, this time a pineapple cocktail laced with dark rum, mint and brown sugar. We managed to forget about the sleazy man and enjoy our meal. It was delicious. There were chilli-spiced crabs, prawns and mussels to start, followed by a fish stew accompanied by garlicky potatoes, spring greens and homemade bread. Dessert was light mango custard with an unusual black olive caramel.

"God, that was delicious!" I exclaimed as the waitress had cleared our plates. I was feeling pleasantly full and just a little tipsy from the drinks, but most of all I was drunk on Edward. He had been particularly attentive throughout our meal, from playing with my hair to placing his leg next to mine to holding my hand in between courses. I loved it.

"Say, would you let me take you for a spin round the dance floor next door?" My self-consciousness immediately kicked in.

"I don't know. I'm a terrible dancer..." He leaned forward and caressed the side of my face.

"You know that by dancing I mean 'let me hold you in my arms all night in public' right?" Mmm...that did sound appealing.

"When you put it like that...!"

We paid our bill and went to the club next door. The DJ was playing soulful 60s Motown stuff interspersed with more Latin-orientated sounds. Edward took me straight to the dance-floor.

"Trust me?" He said after we had been swaying for a couple of minutes. Some of the other couples on the dance-floor were doing the same but others were dancing more skilfully with dips and twists and spins. I viewed them with envy. Although I was deeply self-conscious, part of me really wanted to be able to dance with such grace and flair.

"Of course."

"Good." He untangled my arms from around my neck and held both my hands loosely. "Keep holding on like this but don't grip too tight otherwise you won't be able to spin round properly." He then nudged me away from him so I took a step back and pulled me back but to the side so our hips were touching. He pushed me away again but this time pulled me back to his other side. He then brought me back in front of him, dropped one of my hands and spun me twice by the other hand before picking up my other hand and placing it behind his neck. We then resumed swaying.

"Wow. You had me dancing! Properly!" I exclaimed. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"My mother. She insisted that I had to know how to dance. I hated it at the time but I'm very grateful now that I finally get to dance with you."

"And so am I."

"I think it's actually harder work for the boy than the girl. He has to lead so he has to know all the steps in more detail in order to guide his partner."

"'He's the boss on the dance floor and nowhere else!'" I snickered to myself as I remembered the line from Dirty Dancing. The club with its rustic wood fittings and 1960s music kind of reminded me of that movie.

"Exactly! Want to try another few steps?" I nodded, excited about dancing for the first time in my life.

This time he took the hand that I had at the back of his neck and spun me out of his arms before spinning me back so that my back was against his chest. He then rocked us back and forth before spinning me out of his arms again and back so that this time I was facing him, and ran his hand down my torso before picking up my leg and then dipping me backwards.

"How did you like that?" He asked, when he had brought us back upright and kissed my nose.

"Mmm...loved it!"

"How about we get a quick drink and then when we come back we can put the two sets of steps together?"

"Sounds great."

We spent the next couple of hours mixing dancing with drinking. Each time Edward would show me a couple more steps, and then we would incorporate it into a longer routine. I was amazed. I didn't feel self conscious when I was dancing with him. He made me feel completely safe, like the rest of the world didn't exist.

The floor was filling up and it was getting harder to find the space to do the full dance routine Edward had taught me. The music started to change too, becoming more modern and faster. Eventually we gave up and went with the flow, changing from doing actual steps to rocking and shimmying against each other in time to the music. The beat of the music became heavier, darker and sexier. Along with the change in music came a return of the sense of unease in the atmosphere between Edward and me. I looked up into his eyes which were boring into me, stormy and intense. His lips descended to claim mine out of the blue and I realised what the change was. Tension. Pure, unadulterated, unresolved sexual tension. He wanted me and I wanted him, desperately.

"Are you getting tired, Bella?" He asked, speaking directly into my ear so I could hear him over the heavy bassline.

"A little." I replied, biting my lip nervously. "Maybe we could dance one or two more songs and then go?"

"OK." He took me back into his arms. The song changed after a minute or two and the new track took me straight back to law school. It was the song that was playing when I saw Edward kiss Kate.

_Your sea it can be freezing, I thought I'd float  
I sink deeper blue, by you I'm consumed  
Oh I'm such a fool thinking I _

_Won't get caught in your downhill flow  
Swept away, what good is a beautiful day, I'm alone  
And you-ou, the cure and the cause  
Of my blues  
My only flaw_

It was a deep, sexy, soulful house beat and my body started reacting to it before my mind. I spun myself so I had my back to Edward and brought his arms around my waist before covering them with my own. I started circling my hips in time to the beat and pressing my ass into his groin. I was determined to make a new memory of this song. I wanted to remember it as the track we grinded to right before we made love for the first time as a couple, because I knew, without the words being said, that we were going to have sex tonight.

"Bella!" He exclaimed into my ear before kissing the back of my neck. "Your sexy ass is torturing me!" I said nothing but brought one hand to the back of his neck and tethered it in his wild, slightly damp tendrils. He responded by thrusting his hard groin into my ass. I felt shivers of desire dance down my spine.

The song came to an end and faded away. I didn't let go of Edward until he whispered,

"Shall we go?"

"Yes." He turned me around, running his eyes over me before grabbing my hand and escorting me out of the club.

-cc-

**AN: The song is called 'The Cure and the Cause' and is by **_**Fish Go Deep.**_


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Here's the second of two chapters for today, and, um, most of it is lemony!**

**I don't own Twilight! If I did I would be rich!**

**Enjoy!**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 14**

We rode home in silence, the air between us heavy with want and desire. When we exited the taxi he took my hand again and led me back to our room. As soon as he got the door open, he showed me in, shut the door and gently pushed me against it.

"Finally!" He sighed. "I have you here, all alone..." The way he looked at me, it was like I was his last meal. He softly brushed my top lip with his up and down, and then licked it with the tip of his tongue before venturing it into my mouth. I responded eagerly, closing my lips around his and reacquainting his mouth with my tongue. So many times I had dreamed of kissing Edward like this, but the reality was so much better.

Edward had linked his arms around my waist, and I was resting my hands against the planes of his hard chest. As my hands drifted upward to loop round his neck so my fingers could find their favourite place, the soft tendrils of hair at the nape of his neck, his hands moved lower, slowly moving to cup my ass. When he squeezed it, I couldn't help the shiver and groan of delight that came out of me.

"Aah!"

"Do you like that, Bella?" He asked me softly, in between kisses. I tugged his hair softly, and then it was his turn to moan.

"As much as I know you _love_ that." I replied breathily. His green eyes fixed on mine once again, and he suddenly lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around him as he carried me to the nearest of the two beds, and gently laid me down in the middle where the sheets had been turned down by the maid. He shrugged off his jacket and then moved to lie next to me on his side, and his arm came over my waist. I turned my head in his direction and was rewarded with a soft kiss on my lips. He moved closer to me and kissed me again and then took his kisses over my chin and down my neck, ever so slowly.

"Mmm, I have wanted to do this for exactly eight years, one month, two weeks and four days." He sucked my neck pulse point gently. "Give or take a few hours."

"You remember the exact time and date you first saw me?" I tilted my head upwards to give him better access. "What about Victoria? You seemed so into her."

"Bitch-toria who?" He quipped and I let out a loud guffaw. "Seriously, what I remember is wondering into the Terrace Bar..." he continued licking and sucking my neck, "...expecting to meet Ben for a boys' night," he moved to the top of my chest that was exposed by the cut of my dress, "and there was this gorgeous creature standing next to Angela, brown eyes so big I thought you might have been Bambi in a previous life, long chocolate hair that I just wanted to stroke and lose my hands in..." he tangled his hand into my hair as if to demonstrate, "...and the most stunning body. But most of all, you have this magic about you that I just can't explain, but it's...that is...I don't know, you're just...Amazing."

"Edward..." I sighed. That had to be the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to me, said by the man of my dreams. I absolutely melted. I brought his face up to mine and kissed his soft, pink lips.

He kissed his way back down my neck and resumed kissing my chest, playing with the first button of my dress.

"I wish I'd been brave enough to dump Victoria then and pursue you regardless." He murmured as he undid the button and kissed the skin he found there.

"No regrets, Handsome." He smiled against me and undid another button, this time revealing the little red bow at the top of my black lace bra.

"Well, what do we have here?" He kissed over the little bow, and slid his free hand up my torso to gently cup my breast, causing me to cry out in pleasure, before popping the next two buttons in quick succession. "You're so soft, so beautiful, so sexy." He pushed apart the material of my dress to reveal my bra before undoing the belt.

"I'm glad you like it."

"Like it? Love it!" He skimmed his hands over both my breasts before very gently pinching my nipples.

"Ooh, that's good!" I shouted, his actions getting me even wetter. It felt like a flood down there.

"I can't wait to see what else you have for me." He unbuttoned my dress down my torso lingeringly, kissing over the centre of my bra and then my tummy, licking and tickling my belly-button when he found it. He kissed lower, and when he revealed my matching French-cut lace briefs, sucked in a deep breath.

"Do you like these too?"

"Oh yes, Gorgeous." He licked along the edge of the panties, and then undid the last two buttons so my dress fell open completely, whilst letting his lips and tongue drift down my hip. "Words can't describe how much I like."

I was overwhelmed by the need to kiss him all of a sudden, and tugged on his hair gently. When he looked up, I beckoned him with my finger. He grinned and crawled back up to kiss my lips. I wrapped my arms around his chest and shoulders and in a sudden move, flipped us so that I was on top, and sat upright. I then took off my open dress and threw it behind me somewhere.

"Bella?" He looked bewildered, in a good way.

"Ha! My turn!" I smirked at him and he burst into an almost-musical collection of chuckles. I loved his laugh.

"And just what do you have in mind, Miss Swan?" Edward asked, running his hands up and down my bare thighs. I paused, biting my lip as I tried to decide what I wanted to do to him at that moment. "Oh, fuck!"

"What?"

"You're biting your lip. Do you know how fucking sexy that is? Do you know how many times I've seen you do that and become instantly rock hard?"

"Really?" He nodded and I wiggled backwards so that I made contact with his rigid member.

"Oof...yeah." He croaked. I rubbed my ass against it again, and he moved his hands to hold me at the waist. "Bella, it'll be game over way too soon if you keep doing that. Feels too good!"

I leant forward and kissed him before pulling at his tie. Once that was lost, I sat up again and pulled at his shirt, desperate to see more of his perfect skin. I reciprocated kissing down his chest as I undid his buttons, just like he did to me, loving the sound of his moans and panting. Once he shrugged his shirt off, I continued showering his chest with kisses, paying particular attention to his nipples. I adored the ripple of his lean muscles under my touch and the taste of his skin.

Just as I started to move my hands towards his belt and the fly of his trousers, Edward sat up suddenly. He cupped my face in his hands, squashing my hair against my head and kissed me deeply, passionately, ardently.

"Oh Bella, the things you do to me!" He took my hands and moved them to his belt buckle, and I undid it whilst he continued to kiss me. He reached around my back to undo my bra, and I let him pull it off before throwing it behind us to join my dress and his shirt. He hissed as my fingers skimmed over his stiff cock and again as I pushed down his trousers and reached inside his tight boxer briefs.

"Oh, Handsome..." I whispered as I wrapped my hands around his huge member. It was even bigger than I remembered.

"Jesus!" He exclaimed. I pumped him slowly a couple of times while he brought his mouth to one of my nipples and sucked gently, whilst fondling the other breast. "Mmm...you taste delicious, Gorgeous one."

"So do you. You feel pretty great too!" I told him, as I ran my thumb over the tip of his cock. He was leaking a trickle of pre-cum.

"Bella, if you keep doing that...aah...I want to be inside you when I come, my darling."

"That can be arranged..." I let go of him momentarily and rolled onto my back. "Come here, Edward."

He stared at me for a moment before coming to me, kissing my nipples once again before working his way down me once more, quicker than last time, until he reached my panties.

"May I?" He hooked his thumbs into the sides, ready to pull them down.

"God, yes! Yes, please!" He didn't hesitate, yanking them down my legs and throwing them into the pile of our discarded clothing. He then got rid of his trousers and briefs as well before toeing off his shoes and socks. I started to push my peep-toe pumps off as well but he stopped me.

"Can you keep them on, please?" He asked, pouting a little. "They're so hot!"

"Whatever you want, Edward."

"I want you, Bella. So much." He replied. "The fuck-hot shoes are a sexy bonus!" With that, he gently stroked down my slit and pushed his finger between my pussy lips. "God, you're so wet!"

"That's what you do to me. What you've always done to me." He moved his finger upwards and circled my clitoris. My back arched off the bed as my whole lower half got flooded with heat and a delicious taut feeling. "Wow, that feels so good!"

"Yeah? What about this?" He suddenly pushed two different fingers into my tight hole, curling upwards, promptly finding my sweet spot and winding up the sinfully good coil deep in my loins.

"Even better!" I could barely speak.

"I want you to come for me Bella. I have this hazy memory in my mind from Paris that it was the sexiest thing ever seeing you come." He languidly pumped in and out of me but gradually moved his hand faster and deeper.

"God...Edward...!" I screamed as I came closer and closer to losing control.

"That's it, Gorgeous...come." His fingers were moving rapidly now, over my clit as well, and my whole body felt like it was about to burst. "Let go, my darling." He whispered.

With those final words I lost control, the coil pinged, my whole being exploded as my orgasm took over me and I came around his fingers. I was thrashing around on the bed riding it out, such that it took me a little while to become aware of Edward gently caressing my tummy and dropping kisses on my shoulder.

"Well! Wow!" I exclaimed, unable to say anything more intelligent.

"I'll say!" He grinned, moving to lie between my legs. He took his hand from my heated core and sucked his fingers. "God you taste divine!" He tilted my chin up and kissed me sweetly. "My memory from Paris didn't do it justice. I think I need more of a taste." He moved down me again and bent one of my legs, and I felt his hot breath over my wet pussy lips.

"Edward?"

He didn't reply with his voice, but he did respond with his mouth. I felt his tongue encircle my clit, still sensitive from my recent orgasm, and then swipe up and down my slit.

"HOLY FUCK! Oh, Handsome. So un-fucking-believably good!"

He kept doing it, over and over again. I was moaning like a banshee and he was making soft hums. I clutched at the sheets. I clutched at his hair. My toes curled. I'd never felt sexual pleasure in the same way as I felt it with Edward.

"It didn't take long for him to bring me to a shuddering release once again.

"Jesus Christ that was amazing, Baby!"

"So are you Bella. And what a feast!" He kissed his way up my belly and over the ravine of my chest before nuzzling into my neck, scattering it with little nips.

I could feel his hard erection against me and started to move my hand downwards.

"Bella, I'm almost ready to explode. If you do that..."

"So enter me." I told him simply.

"Do we need anything, protection-wise? I promise you I'm clean. You're the last girl I slept with." _Really? _That surprised me."But I have a condom in my..."

"No I'm clean too and I'm on the pill. The last person I slept with was you as well. I want to feel everything, Handsome."

"Your wish is my command!" He lined himself up and took a deep breath. "Here we go my gorgeous one." He pushed into me slowly, holding the tip of his cock just inside me for a second. I gasped as he then sank into me.

"Oh!"

"Bella, my darling...aah...so tight, so hot." My pussy was so happy to receive him. I couldn't get over how big he was, or how right it felt to be connected to him so intimately. I lost my hand in his hair, and my soul in his eyes, which never left mine. For a while we were silent, the only sounds in the room being the sound of his skin sliding against mine and my lips sucking his. It was incredibly intense. I found myself binding my legs around him as tightly as I could manage to keep him close.

Edward had set a steady pace and his face was getting redder. He started punctuating each thrust into me with a manly grunt. He started hitting me deeper and deeper, and my little moans joined his grunts. I could feel my walls clamping and tightening around his dick, and pretty soon I could feel myself on the verge of another monumental orgasm.

"Edward..." I began. However I couldn't say anymore because I was desperately trying to hold onto my orgasm, and I couldn't remember why I'd said his name.

"Bella..." He kept his pace but I knew, just like I knew in Paris, that he was, like me, clinging to it, trying not to let go too early.

"Almost..." He snuck his hand between us and ghosted his finger over my clit and pressed lightly. It was complete sensory overload. "Fuuucckk...!" I came hard, unable to stop the swearing from pouring out of my mind.

"Aaah...fucking hell, so sexy! So fucking hot!" Edward yelled as he suddenly released too, filling me with his scorching hot cream and collapsing in a sweaty heap over me before rolling us onto our sides. His arms came around me and he held me against him, allowing my head to find its place against his chest.

"Mmm..." I sighed contentedly and he sighed back. My joints felt loose and floppy; my skin hummed with a warm electric current I only ever felt when was with him. I felt my eyes grow heavy with sleep thanks to my post-coital bliss but I tried to fight it, not wanting this magical day to end.

"Gorgeous one, we've had a very long day. Sleep. I'll be right here next to you, and when we wake, we can do it all over again."

"Promise?" I whispered.

"I promise, Bella." He whispered back. "_My_ Bella."

-cc-

The first thing I noticed when I woke up the next morning was the smell of fresh coffee. The second was that I was alone in the bed.

"Edward?" The room seemed empty and for a horrifying moment, I thought that he had left.

"I'll be out soon Gorgeous!" his buttery voice came through from the bathroom. I instantly relaxed. On the bedside table next to me were a glass of water and a cup of hot coffee. I gulped at both drinks and waited for him. Sure enough, after a couple of minutes, he emerged, gloriously nude. He climbed back into bed next to me and pulled me towards him.

"Hello." He whispered.

I giggled and rubbed my nose against his.

"Hi." I replied.

He tilted his head and pressed his lips to mine.

"Mmm...you taste delicious. Bella and coffee, two of my favourite things." He mumbled before probing his tongue into my mouth. Naturally I responded, meeting his tongue with mine and letting them indulge in a sexy tango. A new flush of arousal for him shot through me.

"You too, Handsome!"

Pretty soon he was on his back with me on top of him, kissing my way down his lean, muscular torso.

"God, Bella!" he cried as I gripped his hard cock whilst showing his abs some love with my tongue. I continued my journey south, licking back and forth along his happy trail and his hipbones. I began to pump him slowly and was rewarded with a small stream of pre-cum flowing out of the head of his dick and over my hand. I licked the pre-cum that had fallen over my hand, causing him to groan.

"You don't have to...I mean...I would love it if you did but..." He stopped talking when I licked one of his perfect balls and then enveloped it with my mouth. I sucked gently for a moment before transferring my attention to the other one. I loved his slightly tangy, slightly salty taste. I alternated between the two for a while, spurred on by his grunts and moans.

When I glanced up, his eyes were screwed shut tightly and he was gripping the sheets so hard that his knuckles were white.

"You ok?" I whispered before continuing to suck his balls.

"Yeah...so good." I couldn't have agreed more. I moved to the head of his erect dick and kissed it softly before swirling my tongue around him, cleaning up the pre-cum. It was a more intense Edward flavour, just a bit saltier. I then took more of him into my mouth and moved up and down, setting up a steady rhythm with my other hand, which continued to pump him at his base. When his tip hit the back of my throat I sucked hard before moving him in and out.

"Holy fuck!" He exclaimed. "Bella...!" He caressed the top of my head and stroked my hair, and sped up his strokes as I sped up my ministrations on his cock. "Don't stop, please...!" He repeated before suddenly coming hard down my throat. I swallowed everything he gave me, every drop, and loved it. When I looked up, the look on Edward's face was sheer bliss coupled with a little bit of awe. I gave myself an internal high-five. _I_ put that look on his face.

I moved to rest my head on his stomach and we lay silently for a couple of minutes catching our breaths. Edward stroked my hair over and over, and I almost purred.

"You liked that, I take it?" I said as I eventually crawled back up him and kissed Edward's jaw.

"I'll say." His strong arms came around me and held me against him for a minute before rolling us onto our sides. "What a great start to the day!"

"Speaking of which, what do you want to do today?"

"Other than fucking you senseless, you mean?" He chuckled but his eyes darkened a little. He wasn't kidding and I couldn't wait.

"Other than that! What's on the itinerary?"

"What itinerary? I think it's been replaced with sex, sex and oh, more sex!"

"Sounds great to me, Handsome!" I replied, kissing him not-that-gently.

"Good." He brushed my wild hair away from my neck and started licking at my pulse-point. I sighed and curled my hand around the back of his neck to keep him doing such wonderful things to me. One of his hands travelled down my back and cupped my ass before coming around to rest between us. He then moved his fingers downwards, gently probing my dripping slit. "Oh Gorgeous one..." he sighed as he realised just how much my body and I wanted him. He started to circle my clit gently but steadily. That delicious clenching began in my loins.

"Edward...I need..." He stepped up the pressure, and I paused to enjoy.

"Tell me, tell me what you need, Bella." He urged, kissing along my collarbones. I looked down. He was hard again.

"I want to come around your cock, Fuck me. Please. Please?"

"Your wish is my command. Trust me?" I looked up into his green eyes, darkened with lust. For a split second I doubted, but it was overshadowed by my own pure, hungry, lusty need.

"Yes."

"Turn over onto your hands and knees for me?" I nodded and did as he asked, a new thrill running through me as I anticipated him taking me from behind. "What a lovely view!"

I was rewarded by his hot, wet mouth at the base of my neck. He dragged his mouth down my spine and spent some time licking and tonguing the dimples at the base of my spine, but I was getting antsy, especially as he continued stroking my sensitive little nub.

"Edward...please...I need you inside me!"

"Is my girl getting a little impatient?" He teased._ His girl. _That sounded wonderful.

"Mmm..." I felt the tip of his cock push through my outer pussy lips. "Just a little."

"You asked, Bella, you shall have." With that he suddenly impaled me causing me to gasp at the sensation of his massive cock stretching me, massaging my insides.

"God, you fit me so well, Handsome!" I exclaimed as he truly fucked me, bracing himself with one hand on my shoulder.

"Right back at you!" He panted, moving faster. "This is going to be hard and fast, OK?" He snuck his spare hand back to my clit and rubbed it hard in time to his thrusts. I couldn't respond. It was going to be quick for me too. I loved this position. It felt like he was claiming me as his, which I was, unconditionally and irrevocably

"OK. Just let go when you're ready. I'm close though, really close!"

"Me too." He was grunting now, his hot breath warming my back, which was slick with sweat, both mine and his.

For a few moments we were silent save for the sound of his skin slapping against mine but as the peak of my orgasm approached, I started panting more, and calling his name in a chant.

"Edward, Edward, Edward...oh...ah...OH! OOOOHHH!" It hit me hard and overwhelmed me, a monumental rush of pleasure that made me dizzy.

"Bella! FUCK! SO FUCKING GOOD!" He shouted as I was still coming down from my high, before releasing into me. He pulled out of me before he enveloped me in his arms and rolled us so he was on his back and I was on mine, on top of him. His lips found my shoulder and one of his hands softly caressed my breast.

"Tell me something, Edward? When was the last time you had sex that good?" I murmured whilst enjoying his touch. His lips halted and for a split second I wondered if I had said something to upset him. He turned me over so that our noses were touching.

"Never. Never, ever Gorgeous." He kissed my lips briefly. "That was...words can't describe how good that was. How amazing you are." He brushed my hair out of my face. "Bella...I..." He closed his eyes and looked away for a moment before returning his eyes to me and smiling. "You are my dream come true."

-cc-

"I don't want you to go back to the Four Seasons." I told him suddenly over breakfast on our last morning in Macau.

"Where do you want me?" He asked, curling his hand around the back of my neck and twirling my ponytail.

"At my place. Staying with me." I replied in a quiet voice. He looked pensive for a moment and then turned around in his chair and brought me onto his lap, not caring about the stares of other hotel guests. He then kissed me soundly.

"OK."

"You wouldn't mind?" Edward's arms tightened around me and he kissed my temple.

"Of course not, Gorgeous. I would love to stay with you!" He replied, grinning down at me. "Besides, your apartment sounds like it's better kitted out than the hotel, with the exception of the swimming pool!"

"Thank you!" I reached up and kissed him again. "Oh, and Edward?"

"Yes, my darling?" He panted, still breathless from our kiss.

"My building has a swimming pool on the roof."

-cc-

**AN: Hope the lemon didn't disappoint! I'd love to hear your opinion either way!**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Hello everyone. I come to Ffn exhausted after a week at an international conference, doing the BSC (Booze, Schmooze & Cruise). It was great for work but not so great for my head, my liver or my energy levels! I'm happy to be home. **

**I'm posting a chapter tonight because it's ready and because, depending on family, I may not get to post on Sunday. I'll also post a chapter of the EPOV companion piece 'High Stays the Tide.'**

**Thanks to everyone who's reading, big thanks to those who added me to alerts/favourites and super-big thanks to those lovely (and sadly too few) people who reviewed. **

**I don't own Twilight. If I did I wouldn't have to do the BSC at conferences on my week off in order to climb a rickety career ladder.**

**-cc-  
**

**Chapter 15**

My instinct of wanting Edward in my apartment seemed to be the right one. We seemed to mesh together seamlessly. We soon developed a routine. I would go to work and Edward would go sightseeing in the morning. We would meet for lunch and he would spend most afternoons doing some reading in the small law library attached to the VDI Hong Kong office. He was truly passionate about the law, and liked to keep up to date with all the latest legal articles and research. We would then come home together.

We tended to stay in on weekday evenings as I often had small pieces of work to do at home. Therefore, I would cook us dinner and Edward would chat to me whilst keeping our wine glasses topped up, and he would do the washing up. He insisted. It was a long-running joke that he was hopeless in the kitchen, but he seemed very interested in what I was doing, so I started showing him a few simple dishes. I showed him how to grill meats, cook pasta without burning it or turning it to mush, to put together salads and make salad dressings, and how to bake bread and a simple vanilla cake. Cooking didn't come naturally to him, but at least he could now make a few things and not burn the place down. Surprisingly, however, he took to baking like a duck to water and soon he had mastered recipes such as Italian focaccia bread, iced chocolate fudge cake and sugar cookies. In fact he baked so much that the two of us couldn't eat it all so we gave the extras to my colleagues and neighbours- they were very well received.

On the weekends and on my days off, Edward and I explored Hong Kong Island and Kowloon together. We also went hiking in the New Territories, and to see dragonboat racing on the beaches of Lantau Island. Every moment I spent with him, I fell harder for him. I had thought that my feelings were love before, but I knew that some of my yearning for him was based on fantasy. However now that we were together, and spending so much time with each other, those feelings had become love for sure. Whatever I'd considered my feelings to be before, this time it was real. I was definitely in love with Edward Cullen. Nothing I'd ever felt for anyone before compared.

We were lounging on the sofa in the apartment one evening around two-and-a-half weeks after returning from Macau, cuddling and making out when Edward's mobile rang.

"Sorry, it's my Dad. I can call him later..."

"No, it's OK. I can go into another room."

"Bella, my darling, there's nothing I'll tell him that I wouldn't want you to hear." He told me before picking up the call, keeping me close enough to him that I could hear his father's voice through the phone too.

"Hi Dad, how's things?"

"_Hello, son! Good thank you. Are you still in Hong Kong?" _Edward's father's voice was very similar to his son's- buttery, velvety and deep.

"Yes. I'm going to be here until the beginning of June."

"_And how's your girl?"_ Edward turned to me and kissed my nose.

"Bella's wonderful Dad. Beautiful. Exquisite." I blushed and he pressed his cheek against mine.

"_Is she right next to you?" _

Edward laughed.

"Yes, but that doesn't make it any less true!" There was laughter on the other end of the phone as well.

"_May I speak to her?"_

"Umm..." Edward hesitated and looked at me to see if it was all right with me. I was nervous, but nodded.

"_I promise I won't be too embarrassing!"_

"OK Dad...here she is." He handed the phone to me.

"Um, hello? This is Bella."

"_Hello, dear. It's so nice to finally talk to you after hearing all about you."_

"Thank you Dr Cullen. It's good to talk to you too."

"_Please call me Carlisle, Bella! I hope our Edward isn't making too much of a nuisance of himself."_

"No, he's great. I'm so happy to have him here."

"_Do you think you could cope with two more Cullens for a few days?"_

"Are you coming this way?" I glanced at Edward who looked surprised at this news.

"_I've been invited to speak at a surgical conference in Singapore. It's all happened rather last-minute. We thought about stopping in Hong Kong next weekend before flying on but if it's an imposition..."_

"Not at all! It would be an honour to meet you and Mrs Cullen." Edward was beaming and nodding enthusiastically. He grabbed the phone and put it onto speakerphone mode.

"Dad, that would be great! I can't wait for you to meet my Bella!"

We went on to make plans with Carlisle and looked at suitable flights, and hung up fifteen minutes later.

It was only when we were in bed, after a particularly energetic bout of lovemaking, that my insecurities reared their ugly heads.

"What if they don't like me?" I wondered out loud, out of the blue.

"Who, my parents?"

"Yes."

"Bella, they'll love you. I know it." I turned round in his arms to face him.

"How did they get on with Victoria, Jessica and Heidi?" He looked instantly uncomfortable. "What?"

"Nothing. I just don't want to think about my exes." Realising I wasn't going to let go of the topic he cleared his throat before continuing. "Well, Dad didn't seem to have any strong feeling about any of them."

"And your mother?" I knew Edward was really close to his mother Esme.

"Well, she liked Jessica, but found her incessant chatter a bit annoying. Victoria she only met once, briefly, and Heidi..." he hesitated a moment. "Heidi she detested with a passion. She was delighted when we split up."

"Oh, God, she's going to hate me!"

"Bella, she's not! She hated Heidi because she was such a pain in the ass with all her food fads and insistence on bringing her Chihuahua everywhere and taking three hours to get ready for a walk etc, but most of all she knew, before I knew, that Heidi made me didn't really make me happy. She's so excited to meet you because I spent the whole of our time in Malawi talking about how wonderful you are and how happy I always feel when I'm with you."

"Mmm...any tips for ingratiating myself?"

"Just be yourself. She hates superficiality and fakery. Although she would always be very polite. And with Dad, he'll appreciate any discussion on politics and world affairs, which I know you love too."

"OK." Edward started reaching up to turn the light off but I thought of another question. "Why did you stay with her?"

"What, with Heidi?"

"Yeah. Why did you stay for so long if you were miserable? Why did you propose? Come to think of it, why did you stay with Jessica?"

He sat up and crossed his legs.

"You want to have this conversation now?"

"Yes. I think it's important."

He sighed heavily.

"OK. I just don't want you to think less of me when I'm done." I leaned forward and kissed him softly.

"I won't. I just need to understand if we're going to move forward in our relationship."

"I know, Darling." He entwined his fingers with mine. "The thing is, I did love Jessica. She's got a heart of gold under her superficial slight airhead persona. You know that. You're closer to her than I am now. And I would have stayed with her if she hadn't broken up with me because being not-unhappy with her was better than being alone."

"Why did you hate being single so much?"

"I guess it's in part because I grew up lonely a lot of the time, being an only child and all, and having a girlfriend took that away. And over time, I came to value that lack of loneliness so much that I ignored the flaws in the relationships. But also I didn't want to fail. You know that I grew up with parents so completely in love. They were each other's firsts in everything and I desperately wanted that too. So I always started every relationship intending for it to be my last."

"I get that. I guess it's different for me in that my parents aren't that symbiotic. They love each other one day, hate each other the next. They're quite different in character and interests. But even when things were awkward between them, I always had my brother Peter for support." He smiled back at me and took my hand.

"What kind of flaws were there with Jessica?" I continued. "Surely you don't still blame yourself for her walking away?" I had heard Jessica's side of the story but I wanted to hear more about it from Edward.

"No. I did at the time but I'm over that now. With Jess, we were so competitive at law school. She'd get upset when I did better than her on an assignment or on an exam. When we started working it drove her crazy that I was working for one of the biggest law firms in the world whilst she was in a smaller one, and every time I came home stressed, she was more stressed about her shit so she wasn't any support. As we got embroiled in The Italian Job, I knew things weren't right between us. I had lost any interest in her sexually, and she me, but I just couldn't face being alone again. I think if you'd been single then I might have had more courage to break up with her but..."

"What? I was single then!"

"But Kate and Jessica were talking about this guy Riley you were seeing and how 'hot' he was."

"Bloody hell. He was no more than a fuck buddy. It lasted a few months. I wouldn't have needed it if I wasn't so horny from spending all my working hours with the hottest man alive."

"What? Who?" He asked, looking all jealous.

"You! Silly Edward. Always..." I kissed him. "...Only..." Kiss. "You." Kiss.

"Oh." He sheepishly smiled. "That's what I meant by someone or something always being in the way..."

"What about Heidi?"

"Well, she had been coming onto me for a while but I'd ignored it because you and I had been getting so close. But when you moved to the Canary Wharf office and got together with Jasper..." _What the fuck? _ "...I started flirting back. Then at the Corporate department picnic, she told me that she was really into me so I relented and asked her out. And we had fun. She was exciting and glamorous and she seemed to be really sweet, until she turned into a shallow, vapid, harpy. When I lost all hope that you had feelings for me, I just threw myself into the relationship with her and..." Edward stopped talking as he took in my confused face. "What?"

"What do you mean about Jasper? I had drinks or coffee him a few times and went out with him once before he met Alice." His mouth dropped open.

"No!"

"Yes! We got on really well and he was quite interested in me but I was so into you I didn't really respond. Then he met Alice. It was so obvious that they belonged together. After mustering up all my courage, I came round to yours the next day to tell you how I felt, with your favourite muffins..."

"To find me with Heidi. I remember! That was the first time we, um... the first time she stayed over." My eyes narrowed slightly- I knew what he meant.

"I was gutted." I acknowledged. "I went home and cried all day."

"See, I had no idea. I hoped that you should show some reaction, some indication that you were jealous, but you didn't. You seemed delighted for me. You even took Heidi out for brunch with the girls! And then you started seeing that dickhead Felix!" Edward's face went red and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Hey, hey, hey...Edward. Edward, look at me." He lifted his head slowly. I grasped both his hands. "Believe me, I was so jealous. I was seeing green behind my poker face. I was also really mad with myself for not being brave enough to tell you how I felt earlier."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I promised myself that if you were ever single again, I would tell you how I felt because I knew, I _know,_ that nobody else can compare to you." I leaned to kiss him and he grinned as I did so, pulling me into his lap.

"I wish I'd been brave enough to tell you how_ I _felt, too. Even when I thought you were with other people. I hate the fact that the first person I asked to marry me was Heidi, someone I knew I wasn't in love with deep down."

"So why did you? I mean, you were talking about it within a year of getting together. Remember that talk we had at that VDI picnic in Greenwich Park."

"Oh God, I forgot about that! I'm such a dickhead!"

"Huh?"

"I was trying to get a rise out of you! I'd had a conversation with Emmett a couple of weeks before, where I ended up telling him about _that_ New Year. He suggested that your reaction was because you did like me, rather than because you didn't, like I'd assumed. He said that he'd always thought you had been interested in me. So I dropped it into the conversation about significant pieces of jewellery to see what your reaction would be. I was crushed when you seemed so happy for me. In fact that's what you said. 'I'm glad you're happy.'"

"Remember my lawyer poker face? It's that good. I was crushed. I thought that was it for my chances with you, but I did mean it. Even if I couldn't have you, I wanted you to be happy."

"And that is why you are so perfect for me." He gently sucked my bottom lip before continuing. "When I did eventually propose it was actually under duress. I wanted us to live together but she adamantly refused, and eventually told me that if I didn't propose, she'd leave. I wish I'd let her. I held out for a couple of weeks but..." he hesitates a moment, and a look of pain flashes across his flawless features. "...I ended up just asking. After we'd made the announcement that we were engaged I felt sick. I kept thinking about how stupid I'd been for ever blowing my best chance with you."

"'Your best chance?'"

"The night of my birthday party, the one where we went to Galvin at Windows, I intended to seduce you and tell you how I felt. I was thrilled when you seemed to be responding."

"Oh I know! Things were going so well. I was almost ready to jump you there on the street!" I remembered.

"But then things started unravelling! First there was Jasper turning up. You were so excited to see him. Then there was seeing Jess and that Mike guy. It totally threw me. It reminded me that if I messed things up with you, I'd lose you forever, and suddenly, even though you were being so caring and supportive, I had to get away. And when I came to apologise on the Monday morning, I found you were moving offices and had planned a date with Jasper. I was gutted."

"It's been eight years of near misses with us hasn't it?" I commented wryly.

"Yeah. But I finally have you, don't I?"

"Yes, Baby, you do." I rose up, took his face in my hands and rained small butterfly kisses all over his perfect face.

"Bella, my darling. Heidi made me miserable because she wasn't you. That's the simple answer."

"I'm sorry Edward. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have opened the can of worms." I wrapped my arms around him and nestled into his neck. "The fact is, no guy I've ever been with has ever compared to you."

"No, we needed to talk it through. I needed to make you see that ever since I met you, despite the other girls, my heart has been yours. I stayed with them for the wrong reasons, but I'm with you for the right one."

"Mmm...and what's that?" I was starting to fall asleep in his arms.

"Because I love you. I am in love with you, my darling Gorgeous Bella. You're the other half of my whole being. And that will _never_ change."

Wide awake again, I pulled away from his neck to look at him. I took a deep breath and rested my forehead against his. I could feel the intensity between us, the electricity, the passion. This was the moment I'd been waiting for, not just for eight years, but probably my whole life. To be loved by a wonderful man and to be able to love him wholeheartedly in return.

"Edward, my handsome, beautiful Edward. I love you too. I am _so_ in love with you."

-cc-

Despite Edward's reassurances, I couldn't help but get more and more anxious as his parents' visit drew near. They had insisted on staying at The Four Seasons rather than my apartment (although I had offered) and actually I was glad. If they hated me then we had some distance.

Dr and Mrs Cullen had arrived mid afternoon on the Friday of their weekend stay and were flying on to Singapore on Sunday night. Edward went to the airport to meet them and I headed to the hotel to meet them after work. Just as I was leaving he texted me.

_Hi my darling_

_We will be in the Lounge Bar having afternoon tea. Hope work doesn't keep you too long!_

_Your Edward xxx_

I texted him back to say I was on my way and walked into the Lounge Bar ten minutes later. I had been trying to put on my confident lawyer face but then I remembered what Edward said about just being me. I didn't want to come across as too hard-ass. Instead of walking straight into the main seating area, I hung back for a moment at the bar and looked over the elegant space that had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the harbour.

Edward was sat in one of a quartet of silver-grey velvet armchairs by the magnificent windows, chatting animatedly to an extraordinarily handsome (second only to Edward) older man who could only be his father Carlisle. He had a similar build to Edward and sleek ash-blond hair that was slightly grey at the temples. Edward got his bone structure from him, clearly, along with that disarming crooked smile. It was heart-warming to see Edward looking so happy.

I was interrupted from my thoughts by a tap on my elbow. I turned to face a very elegant middle-aged woman who was my height with auburn hair a shade or two lighter than Edward's, highlighted with tones of caramel and low-lighted with tones of chocolate, twinkly emerald-green eyes and a very kind smile. She was dressed elegantly in a black cap-sleeve cotton blouse, cream linen trousers and mid-heeled black peep-toe wedges, with gold and amber bracelet and necklace. This was undoubtedly Edward's mother Esme. I recognised her from Edward's photos.

"Hello."

"Hi." I responded meekly, my tooth finding my lip nervously.

"Are you all right?"

_Just be yourself, Bella_.

"I think so. I guess I'm just a bit anxious because I'm about to meet my boyfriend's parents for the first time and I'm worried they won't like me." I told her honestly, aware that if I'd seen photos of her, she had probably seen photos of me.

"The fact that you care so much about what they think speaks volumes, my dear." I glanced towards Edward and his father, who had both stopped talking and were looking in our direction. Edward looked slightly worried. I turned to face her fully and looked her in the eye.

"I definitely care. I love their son with my whole being, you see. He's the most amazing man I've ever known, and that's down to them." Her kind smile turned into a big grin so I continued. "I hope that they think I'm worthy of their only child." I smiled myself so she would realise that I knew who she was too.

"Well, so far so good I think!" She surprised me by suddenly giving me a big hug. "It's so lovely to finally meet you Bella!"

"You too Mrs Cullen!" I replied. I looked at Edward again. He had relaxed and was laughing a little.

"Please call me Esme, dear." She took me by the arm. "Now shall we get back to our men?" I nodded happily and let her escort me to Edward and his father.

"Ah, the famous Bella. It's so good to finally meet you." Dr Cullen and Edward stood up to greet me. He was even more handsome close-up, although he was still not a patch on my Edward.

"Likewise Dr Cullen." I shook his hand.

"Please call me Carlisle." He replied as we sat down. "We took the liberty of ordering tea for you. I hope that's OK." He signalled a waiter who nodded and disappeared behind the bar.

"That would be lovely, thank you." I had had to work through lunch so afternoon tea would be very welcome. The waiter arrived with a trolley laden with tea things, a large tray of finger sandwiches and several stands full of little pastries, cakes and scones. My stomach rumbled loudly at the sight of them and my cheeks burned in embarrassment.

For a moment there was silence but then I let out a little laugh. That set Edward chuckling and pretty soon we were all laughing.

"I'm sorry. I missed lunch!" I explained through my giggles.

"Edward tells us that you're an excellent lawyer." Carlisle said. "Very dedicated."

"It takes one to know one, I guess." I replied, trying to deflect the compliment. Edward picked up my hand and kissed it briefly.

"Thank you darling." A look of uncertainty flashed across his perfect features. He had alluded to the fact that he wasn't sure where he saw his future with VDI but we hadn't discussed it in any detail.

"So what are you currently working on?" Esme asked.

I gave them a short run-down of the project I was working on, and that led to Edward and I joking about what it had been like working together on the Italian Job.

"Seriously, she didn't even hesitate! Despite the fact that we had drunk at least a bottle of champagne each, Bella says to the client, in her perfect Italian, '_Ma, signore, se si avviare una causa legale, si corre il rischio di danneggiare la reputazione della vostra azienda come un'azienda affidabile.'_ He'd never even considered that instigating a suit would affect his reputation! The next day in front of everyone in the boardroom, he told Miss Denali that she should have a raise!"

"Edward! It was a really daft thing to say! I could have got in so much trouble! You're such a bad influence. If you hadn't wangled the free champagne and persuaded me to join you in drinking it, I would never have been so flippant to the client."

"Bella, my love, the point it, despite the fact you were wasted, you still managed to spot the flaw in his plan. That's why you're so good at your job. It comes that naturally to you."

"Are you two always like this?" Carlisle asked, reaching for another delicious lemon curd tartlet. Edward and I looked at each other and giggled.

"Um, quite often, yes!" I replied.

"Well I'm glad you keep my son on his toes!" Esme added, choosing the strawberry cheesecake bites.

"She definitely does that Mum." Edward leaned over and kissed my cheek. "And I love it!"

"Good! So what have you planned for us this weekend?"

-cc-

**AN: The Italian in the chapter text means (as you may have gathered from the rest of what was said):**

_**'But, sir, if you start a lawsuit, you run the risk of damaging the reputation of your company as a reliable one.'**_

**The next chapter will feature more of Carlisle and Esme's weekend in HK.**

**I don't like to beg and plead for reviews (or anything, for that matter) but I really would appreciate it if you let me know if you liked this chapter or not. It was just a little disheartening to have 1500 hits after I posted the last two chapters, but only two reviews. Thanks everybody and hope you have a good weekend!**

**-cc-**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Hello and thank you very much to everyone who has reviewed, followed and favourited me this week! I'm glad you like it! **

**Another busy week coming up for me but I will be posting the next chapter at some point next weekend. I'm also publishing a chapter of the EPOV companion piece 'High Stays The Tide' today. **

**I wish I owned Twilight. Lucky Stephenie. I'm just giving her characters umpteen trials and tribulations.**

**Enjoy!**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 16**

After our afternoon tea, we took Carlisle and Esme on a walk around the harbour, before taking them for a light sushi supper at my favourite Japanese restaurant. On Saturday, I took Esme shopping on Hollywood Road and then at Stanley Market whilst Edward and Carlisle went to play golf at Deep Water Bay.

I couldn't believe how well Esme and I got on. In some ways she reminded me of Alice. She was energetic and enthusiastic, and clapped her hands when she got excited. She also loved shopping. She had an antique bird cage shipped home from a shop on Hollywood Road, and had bought several Chinese linens and silks at Stanley Market.

"They are so pretty!" She exclaimed as she reviewed her purchases in the cafe we had chosen to have lunch in, right on Stanley Main Beach. "Thank you so much for taking me. I get the impression shopping's not your favourite way of spending your weekend so it means a lot that you've indulged me."

"I don't mind shopping, but you're right. It doesn't come naturally to me, especially clothes shopping." I replied. I had actually enjoyed shopping with Esme. Her eyes had lit up like a kid in a candy store when we set foot in Stanley Market when she took in the array of Chinese ornaments, textiles, porcelains and jewellery. She had eschewed the fake designer handbags, clothes, perfumes and touristy souvenirs though, and for that I was glad.

"Really? But you're so well dressed!" Esme responded. "Look how well put-together you are today!" I glanced down at my black cotton maxi dress, cinched at the waist with a denim belt, a matching cropped denim waistcoat, and black and gold gladiator sandals. It was an Alice-endorsed outfit from the previous summer.

"Thank you. Alice, my best friend from Cambridge, loves to dress people. If she wasn't an actuary, I'm sure she'd have become a stylist! Twice a year she takes me shopping, puts me through the torture of trying on hundreds of outfits, makes me buy the ones she approves of, and tells me how to wear them." I explained.

"Well she has a great eye, although I'm sure you don't wear anything you don't want to wear." Esme commented. I was surprised. She'd known me for a day and already picked up on the fact that I had a stubborn streak.

"Yeah..."

Esme picked up her most expensive purchase, an intricate hand-embroidered mink coloured heavy silk with light blue and gold flowers, and stroked it, smiling. "What do you plan to do with this?" I asked.

"I think I'll get this one made into a dress for a special occasion. It's just gorgeous!" My cheeks instantly coloured as I thought of how Edward used the word 'Gorgeous.' How he called me it over and over again first thing this morning as he rode me hard against my kitchen counter and in the shower, giving me three mind-blowing orgasms and having two spectacular ones of his own. Esme noticed, of course. I wondered if Edward ever got away with anything as a child. "What is it, Bella? Are you ok?"

"Yes, it's err...nothing." She raised her perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "It's just that Edward, um, calls me that. 'Gorgeous.'" I took a big sip of my drink, willing the blush to go down.

"I noticed that once or twice last night. Do you, by any chance, ever call him 'Handsome'?" she asked.

"Yes, I do. Why?"

"He did exactly the same thing yesterday when I referred to him as my 'handsome son'. The blush-and-duck." She told me. "I've never seen him do that before."

"No?"

"No." She reached over and clasped my hand. "You're under his skin Bella and he's under yours. And having finally met you after months of hearing him talk about you constantly, I completely understand why." She took a deep breath. "He's always been an anxious person, but you soothe him. And he makes you feel alive, doesn't he? You light up when you talk about him."

She had it in one. Whenever I was with Edward, I felt like I was flying. Tears pricked against the back of my eyes and I had to blink them back. I smiled and nodded at her.

"He does. He makes my life Technicolour. Without him, it was black and white."

"I'm so happy you've found each other." She sighed. "Edward has always believed that any relationship was better than no relationship, but I'm glad he's seen that the right person, _you, _were worth waiting for."

-cc-

We returned from Stanley late afternoon and joined Carlisle and Edward poolside for swimming, lounging and cocktails before dinner at the hotel's Cantonese restaurant, where Edward and I had our first proper date. However when we approached them, I could tell from Edward's face that something wasn't right. He looked tense and his hair was sticking up in all directions, suggesting that he'd been pulling at it. Carlisle also looked a bit frustrated.

"Hey." I sat down next to him on his sun lounger and kissed him quickly. "Everything OK?" He looked at me and started to say something but then went silent. "Edward?"

"Everything's fine, my darling." He took my hand and held it in both of his before smiling at me. It wasn't his real smile though. Things were most definitely not _fine_. I glanced at Carlisle and he looked a little disappointed. Esme was looking between the two like I was.

"I'll get us some drinks." I announced, standing up. "Edward, will you help me?" I gave him a look to tell him it wasn't a request. He duly got up. "Carlisle, Esme, what would you like?"

"Moscow Mule for Carlisle and a Pina Colada for me please Bella." Esme answered for Carlisle who was shaking his head a little.

"Thank you. I'm going for a swim." Carlisle added briefly before getting into the pool.

After we gave the bartender our order, I asked Edward again.

"Edward, everything does not seem _fine._ What's going on?" He looked down to the floor before looking back at me.

"It really isn't a big deal Bella. Dad and I had a bit of a disagreement about something trivial. That's all." I crossed my arms, stepped back from him and waited. Edward shifted his weight from one foot to another and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"OK, it wasn't something trivial and it is something I should talk to you about, but please, not now." He closed the gap between us and engulfed me in his embrace, and I couldn't help but enclose him in my arms too. He held onto me tight and nuzzled into my neck for a minute.

"Please don't shut me out, Edward. I'm not going to push you to tell me things if you're reluctant, but please, Baby, don't lie and tell me things are fine when they're not. You matter to me, so much, and I hate the thought of something upsetting you, trivial or not." I told him quietly.

Edward let me go and gently brushed my face with his hands before drawing me back towards him for a brief but very passionate kiss.

"God, I love you. I love you so much." He touched his lips to mine and briefly licked at my upper lip. "I promise I'll tell you what happened when we get home."

"Home?" It was an easy reference to make but it was the first time he'd called my apartment 'home'.

"Anywhere you are, Bella my love, is home to me." _Good answer Handsome. _I curled my hands around his neck and into his hair. "Hmmm." He hummed. "Love it when you do that."

"I know."

When we returned to our loungers with the cocktails, Esme and Carlisle were in the far corner of the infinity pool having a quiet discussion. Carlisle continued to look frustrated but then Esme curled her arms around his neck much like I had done to Edward, and whispered some words into his ear. His shoulders relaxed as she spoke to him and subtly kissed his jaw. When they moved apart he looked much more like his cheerful self. It warmed my heart to see how in love with each other they still were, after more than thirty years of marriage.

By the time we had showered, changed and sat down for dinner at the Cantonese restaurant, the tension between Edward and Carlisle had disappeared and they were back to their easy, warm normality. Dinner was as delicious as when Edward and I had been before, and the conversation flowed well. Just after we had been served tea, both Edward and Esme excused themselves to the restrooms, leaving me with Carlisle.

"Bella, I'm sorry about earlier at the pool."

"What do you mean, Carlisle?"

"When you and Esme arrived Edward and I had just had a bit of a disagreement, and I'm sorry if I was a little terse."

"You weren't. Not at all." I replied.

"Did Edward say anything about what we'd argued over?"

"No. I got a little upset that he claimed to be fine when he wasn't and he apologised and said he'd tell me when we returned to the apartment."

"That's sensible." Carlisle replied before sighing softly and swirling the leftover wine in his glass.

"Carlisle?" He looked up at me. Unlike his son who had inherited Esme's green eyes, Carlisle's were sky blue.

"Bella, I'm sure you've probably observed that Edward has a tendency to put down his abilities."

I had definitely noticed that. It was one of the only things I found infuriating about him.

"Yes, for as long as I've known him. It's frustrating because he is so capable."

"He also tends to put 'responsibility'..." Carlisle made air quotes, "...before what he actually wants, and then of course becomes unhappy."

I started to panic and fret. Did Carlisle think that this would happen to Edward and me in time? That Edward would eventually become unhappy with me but stay because of his need to do what he perceived as the right thing?

"Um..."

"Oh, Bella I don't mean to infer that he would ever be unhappy with you! Indeed, quite the opposite!"

"Oh?" I felt the panic subside.

"Yes, my dear. It's quite clear that you two are deeply in love." He sent a fatherly smile my way. "What I was trying to convey is that Edward has become more aware of these shortcomings of his since Malawi, and I worry that he will try to overcompensate for them. He's still quite torn over certain things. I pushed him a little far this afternoon about these things and he got a bit agitated about it."

"I see." There was only one other thing I could think of that would get Edward that het up.

"I think I know the context of that argument. His career path, by any chance?"

"Edward's right. You are on the ball. I'll let him tell you the ins and outs but suffice to say you're correct." He looked up to see Edward and Esme walking back to the table arm in arm.

"What did we miss?" Edward asked as he took his place next to me.

"Why, you, of course, Handsome!" I replied with a little wink. "And you too Esme." Edward and Esme both grinned, and Edward took my hand under the table.

"Smooth, Gorgeous!" He said, laughing. "When you start winking, it's time to stop you drinking!"

"You're right. Compared to you my tolerance for alcohol is abysmal." Edward could drink almost anyone, even Emmett, under the table.

"I think we're ready for bed, son. It's been a lovely day but tiring." Carlisle said, yawning slightly. Both he and Esme had done well to combat the jet-leg so far but it did appear to be catching up with them. He signalled the waiter for the bill.

"OK, Dad."

We agreed that Esme and Carlisle would come to my apartment for lunch after checking out of the hotel and we would take them to the airport later so they could catch their early evening flight to Singapore.

Edward was quiet on the walk home. He draped his arm around my shoulder and drew me close to his side. I lifted my hand to link with his and he pulled me even closer. I knew he was worried about telling me what had caused his disagreement with Carlisle so I let him be pensive. He let me lead him silently into the apartment when we arrived, and to the sofa. I then sat next to him.

"So...?" I began.

"So..." he replied. "...Dad and I had been having a great day. It's been ages since we played golf. But when we got to the pool, he asked me when I was going back to London, and I couldn't answer."

"What do you mean? You're flying back on the 7th right?" The date was engrained on my brain because I was dreading it. I really didn't want him to go.

Edward ran his hand through his hair before curling it into my hair and rubbing his thumb across my cheek. My eyes drifted closed for a moment at the warmth of his touch.

"I don't know if I am." He said quietly. "I've already told Tyler that there's a very good chance I won't be attending his wedding."

"Why?" I asked.

"You're the main one. When I think of not seeing you every day, it hurts so much I can't breathe." He looked pained. It was a feeling I understood well.

"Edward, I'm returning to Leeds in just over a month." I pointed out.

"Yes, but it's not enough! I don't want to be in London if you're in Leeds!" He exclaimed. "I told you, you are my home, and I don't want to be apart from you." He turned towards me and gently pulled me onto his lap so my legs curled around him, before holding me to his chest.

"So what are you saying? You're not going back to work? You're going to quit VDI?"

"I'm seriously considering it." He admitted. "Bella, I'm not happy where I am. I absolutely love commercial and corporate law, but I don't think I'm cut out for the boardroom. I love the theory, I love doing the groundwork and putting the contracts and deals together but I can't handle the stress of the face-to-face client negotiations, the power-plays and the psychological warfare."

"But I've seen you do it! The Italian Job- you were amazing! That insurance firm's restructuring was successful because of you! If you hadn't spotted that loophole the whole deal would have been a disaster. Edward, why can you not see that you are a brilliant lawyer?"

"I'm not saying I can't do it, Gorgeous. I just don't _enjoy _it. I get so worried and after a deal is closed, it's not euphoria but relief that I feel, but that I got through the whole thing without anyone picking up on how close I came to passing out. I had a full-on panic attack a few weeks after Paris. That was what instigated the sabbatical."

"I had no idea. I knew you got stressed sometimes but I never realised you actively disliked it."

"I started to realise that I was unhappy after you left for Leeds and it just snowballed. I realised that apart from the cases I worked on with you, I detested each one."

"So what did Carlisle say?"

"He thinks that I shouldn't rush into anything and that I should finish the last six months of my junior associate contract with Finance before deciding my next move."

"And you don't want to do that because of me." I stated. Edward nodded gravely.

"I know Leeds is less than three hours away from London but it's not enough to see you just at the weekends. I want to go to bed and wake up with you. I want to build a home with you. Bella, I want to grow old with you."

"I want those things too, but your father does have a point."

"I know he does. That's probably why I got annoyed with him."

"Also, if you quit and changed your mind, you would struggle to get hired by any other firm because you won't have completed associate level."

"Yeah, Dad pointed that out too. He also pointed out that I don't have really have a plan for if I do quit. I still want to work within the corporate law field, but just not as a practising lawyer."

"What about academia? You love theory and research. Your eyes used to light up when you taught the student interns." I suggested. "Perhaps you could do a PhD?"

"I would love to do a PhD. To get my teeth into a really intensive piece of research, to get it published, to teach. That's much more me. I'd love it!" He replied enthusiastically.

He brought his face close to mine and rubbed my nose with his before pressing his lips to mine and then sliding his tongue along mine, making for the most delicious kiss.

"Mmm!" He'd left me breathless. "It's a good plan for your future, but it doesn't solve our upcoming location issues."

"No it doesn't." He agreed.

"It's a shame that Finance don't work out of the Leeds office. Perhaps Tanya Denali would have been amenable to moving you there."

"And it's a shame that the Irelands' Industry teams don't work out of London. I don't suppose you'd consider a six-month secondment to Jane and Alec Volturi's offices?"

"I can't, Handsome. If I request to change teams at this point I'll lose my impending promotion. Not to mention the fact that those two are creepy and well known for being complete slave-drivers."

"I forgot about that."

"Sorry Baby."

"It's OK. You're way too good for their team anyway." He caressed the side of my face. "You see, when I watch you in action, it confirms in my mind that being a hands-on lawyer is not for me. You shine in the boardroom, you charm the clients, outsmart the opposition and you absolutely thrive on it. I'm just not good at that aspect of the job. You are, and that's why you're going to be an Executive, just four years after qualifying."

Irritation rose up from the pit of my stomach at his self-deprecation.

"Don't go all Mr Inferiority Complex on me, Edward! And don't put me on a pedestal. You said it yourself, you don't enjoy it. But you are brilliant at it! I'm not perfect. Research and evidence-finding are the parts of the job I like the least and they come so easily to you. They don't come naturally to me at all. I work damn hard to overcome my shortcomings because I love the client-interface stuff, and the reason I'm being promoted is not only because of my legal skills but also because I was in the right place at the right time with the right people and got a lucky break on my deals. It really is." I was ranting. I hated that he didn't believe in himself.

"I'm sorry my darling. You're right. It's unfair to both of us to play the compare game. As you said, we've had a different set of circumstances."

His last statement was heavy. It felt loaded with something I didn't know about, except that it was significant to Edward. I decided to let it go for now. We were tired and this had already proved to be a stressful conversation for both of us.

"Let's go to bed, Baby. It's late."

We stood up and made our way into the bedroom. After he shut the door, I turned to face him and he walked towards me slowly.

"Does that count as a fight?"

"I think it was more of a heated discussion, Handsome."

"Oh. Does that mean I don't need to make it up to you?" He placed his hands on my hips and rested his forehead against mine.

"Technically no. But it would be good to practise your make-up technique, just in case you're in the doghouse in the future." I told him, licking my lips in anticipation.

"That would be a good idea..." Edward copied me in licking his lips before lowering his mouth to mine. As he took his kiss deeper, I felt arousal dance over my skin and pierce my centre. His arms wrapped around my back and held me flush against him so that my breasts were smashed against his hard chest, my nipples hard as pebbles. He reached up and pulled out my ponytail band so my long brown tresses surrounded us. He then found the zip of my royal blue shift dress and started to ease it down my back.

My hands, like his, were also busy. I pulled his shirt out of his trousers and up over his head. As his mouth drifted away from mine and down my neck, I gasped and gripped his shoulders.

"Aah!" Edward cried and I realised my nails were digging into his skin. I let go and moved my hands down to his waist, and he whimpered softly. "No, I like it."

"Yeah?" I dragged my nails up his back and he groaned. "Like this?"

"God, Bella!" He pushed the dress off my shoulders so it pooled at my feet, revealing my sheer royal blue bra and thong. "Just like that!"

"It doesn't hurt?" I asked as Edward made quick work of removing his remaining clothes.

"Yes, but it's so sexy!" I repeated the action as he sucked at my nipple over my bra. His mouth was so hot against my sensitive teat. Just as I was getting maddeningly turned on, he removed my bra and then he picked me up and threw me on the bed. He very quickly resumed sucking at my breasts whilst peeling off my thong, giving my ass a good grope in the process.

I was done with foreplay. I needed him inside me.

"Edward?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Fuck me?"

"Hard?"

"Yeah?"

He lifted off me for a moment.

"Scoot up and grab the headboard rail with one hand, my darling." I did as he asked, my hot core absolutely dripping in anticipation. "Now, open up." I spread my legs and he lay between them. He took one of my legs over his shoulder and bent the other one before lining up his erection.

"Now, Baby. Now." I breathed.

"God, you're so wet!" He pushed into me and I clasped at his back with my free hand, once again digging my nails in.

"Aah!" He slid inside to the hilt and I squeezed tightly around him and tilted my hips, hoping his cock would find my special spot. It did and my insides started to tighten.

Edward pulled out and then slammed into me, and I gripped the headboard tighter as his action moved me up the bed. As hard as that was, I wanted more. He moved out and in again but added a grind as he did so, which rubbed against my clitoris deliciously. He repeated his actions, moving faster and faster.

He was all around me as well as inside me. I was hyper-aware of the feel of his skin of his body sweeping up and down mine, of his woodsy spicy smell, of the sound of his breathing and both our heartbeats.

I was fast approaching my climax, and it promised to be a big one. Edward, sensing I was close, sped up even more and snuck his hand to my clit. The combination of his fast thrusts and his fingers circling my nub finished me off and my orgasm shot through me. My whole body was wracked with pleasure. I could feel it everywhere, from my ears to my toes. I cried out something incomprehensible into his shoulder, and actually bit him there before sweeping my tongue along his skin there.

"So beautiful!" He cried, continuing to thrust hard. "Nothing more beautiful than you coming apart, my darling Bella...my Gorgeous one...my...my...MY LOVE!" He came suddenly, spurting deeper inside me than he ever had before. I let go of the bedrail and encircled him, and after pulling out of me, he fell into my arms. I held him there for a while, soothed by the heat of his breaths and pants against my bosom and the way the soft tendrils of his hair curled around my fingers.

"Edward?" I thought he might have fallen asleep. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Mmm?"

"Amazing, Baby."

"Amazing Gorgeous." He agreed. He raised his head slowly. "Do you feel the bond between us, my love?" He asked, looking deep into my eyes, piercing them with his own green orbs. They utterly mesmerised me and I nodded, suddenly not able to find words to describe the pull, the connection that anchored our hearts together.

"That's why I don't want to be without you. I've never experienced it with anyone else, and I never will. You make me whole, Bella. How can I live apart from half of myself?"

He was right. I was kidding myself if I thought I could go back to _not_ coming home to him. Somehow we were going to stay together.

-cc-

**AN: Thank you so much for reading. Please consider leaving me a review. They keep me motivated. **

**CC**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Hello everybody! Olympic fever has well and truly arrived and I've been doing a lot of watching and not much writing! I'm working next weekend so I won't be posting. Therefore you are getting two chapters today, and one chapter of the EPOV companion piece 'High Stays The Tide.' Thank you to all my new followers and those who have reviewed and favourited. I owe my reviewers replies and they are on the way soon! **

**There is some Italian in this chapter- translations are at the end.**

**I don't own Twilight. If I did, would I be getting excited about Buy One Get One Free shampoo? No. **

**Enjoy!**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 17**

After seeing Carlisle and Esme off to Singapore with Edward on Sunday night, I walked into the office on Monday morning to find it buzzing with activity. There was an army of cleaners vacuuming, polishing and placing fresh flowers in strategic places. I could see the executives filing into the main boardroom one by one, looking stressed. I put my jacket and handbag in my office, grabbed my work iPhone, legal pad and pen, and went to find Mei-Ling. She found me first.

"Bella! You need to go to the boardroom right now!" She exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the spot.

"What's going on!"

"The big Volturi brothers are coming this afternoon! We only found out they were flying in 30 minutes ago!"

"What, all of them?"

"I don't know! Here's your coffee! Go! Go!" She thrust a paper cup of hazelnut coffee into my spare hand.

When I entered the boardroom, the senior executives were so stressed they didn't seem to notice. I took a seat at the table.

"So, we have Aro and Marcus Volturi arriving at 3pm. Every single case lead must be prepared to present their current cases tomorrow." Sam Uley, the lead executive for the Hong Kong office, was saying. There were no partners based at VDI Hong Kong so it was a really big deal to have Aro and Marcus Volturi, two of the founding partners, visit.

"Why are they visiting?" asked Austin Zheng, one of the younger executives.

"They're heading to the International Law Association Conference in Kuala Lumpur." Sam explained. "They're taking the opportunity to visit some of the Far East branches on the way, to see how we operate. They're en route as we speak from Mumbai."

"How long are they in town for?" Austin added.

"Two nights. They want an overview of our cases and revenue, and a tour of the offices, today. Tomorrow they want a more in-depth summary of each case." Sam said, pacing at the other end of the boardroom.

I wasn't sure what Sam was expecting of me. After all, I wasn't officially an executive, just acting up as one. I didn't technically work for VDI Hong Kong, and my only project was a supervision of the clients' expansion.

"Um..." I raised my hand.

"Oh, Bella! I'm so glad you're here!" Sam exclaimed, not letting me ask my question. "Apparently you've worked with Marcus Volturi before?"

"Yes. He was a great mentor when I worked in Rome." I replied truthfully. Marcus was great to work with. He was very laid-back.

"He specifically requested that you be available this afternoon. He's also asked for you to present your case, a summary of your clients' expansion and their pre and post merger actual and projected revenues first thing tomorrow." Damn, there went my morning and probably lunch with Edward too.

"Sure."

After I left the boardroom, I texted Edward who immediately texted back to say he would meet me after work instead of at lunchtime. I set about preparing the presentation as Sam had asked, and it took me until 2pm. Mei-Ling, as always, was a godsend, helping me prep the slides, fielding calls from clients and getting me lunch. I was going to miss her when I left Hong Kong.

At 2.55pm, all the executives and associates were assembled in the boardroom, ready to receive Aro and Marcus Volturi. They were nervous but I wasn't too bad.

They arrived at exactly 3pm, with a small entourage of assistants, and swept into the boardroom. Marcus spotted me as he came in and waved, so that the whole team turned to look at me. Marcus looked like he was in his late 50s (but I suspected he was older), very tall and broad, with long grey hair tied in a ponytail. I knew Aro was older than Marcus, at least 65, but appeared younger. He was shorter than Marcus, with dyed long jet black straight hair, and clean shaven but he was more imposing than his brother.

Sam led the address, welcoming the brothers Volturi to Hong Kong and introducing the executives and associates before going on to describe in brief some of the areas of expertise of the office. After a quick meet and greet, Sam prepared to show the Volturi brothers around the office.

"Ah, Isabella! So good to see you again!" He kissed me on both cheeks. "You will join us for the tour won't you?" Marcus asked.

"Of course Signor Volturi."

"_Fantastico!"_ He replied. "Aro, this is Isabella Swan."

"Aha! I have heard such good things about you from my brother, from Tanya and Carmen, and from Siobhan and Liam!" He kissed me on both cheeks. "You certainly have been making a name for yourself at VDI!"

"Thank you, _Signore_."

The rest of the executives and associates went back to their work and we toured the offices, meeting some of the other managerial and admin staff along the way. After showing them everything from the smaller conference rooms to the break rooms to the print room, we ended up at my office.

"We allocated Isabella this office and conference room as her case involves a lot of face-to-face contact with the clients, and they have had nothing but high praise for her efforts." Sam explained.

Aro and Marcus wondered around the room freely.

"I don't doubt it." Marcus said. "Siobhan Ireland was telling me the same thing. She was telling me that thanks to you streamlining their constitutional documents and securing VDI's ongoing involvement in their expansion it's been one of the most profitable deals that Industry has worked on this year."

"Thank you. It's been a great deal to work with and the expansion has gone much more smoothly than we anticipated." I replied.

"And you're not yet a permanent executive?" Aro asked. "Impressive."

"Thank you, _Signore_."

He had made his way to my desk and picked up a photograph of me and Edward taken in the Pousada in Macau.

"_Pensi che è suo fratello o il suo fidanzato?" _Aro asked Marcus in Italian.

"_Il mio fidanzato, Edward. Egli è anche un avvocato._" I replied to his question. Aro's eyebrows rose. Clearly Marcus hadn't informed his brother that I spoke fluent Italian.

"Aro!" Marcus hissed. The brothers locked eyes and had a momentary silent conversation. Aro cleared his throat. "Sorry, Isabella, my brother is...what is the English word..._ficcanaso_...nosey."

"That's OK, _Signore."_

"Well, shall we move on?" Sam looked confused at the exchange and I gestured that I'd tell him later.

"Well, I think the only place left to show you is our law library."

"Wonderful." Marcus and Aro had insisted that every VDI office in the world had a law library of equivalent quality with texts in English and the country's native languages.

We stepped out of the main office and into the foyer before entering the law library. The library was deliberately set apart from the main office so it was very quiet.

"As you can see we are fully stocked with the latest international journals, and all the classic texts..." Sam pointed to the various shelves. "We also provide two terminals for access to electronic archived journals. He gestured to the two computers.

We walked around the corner to the desks.

"As you can see we provide plenty of space for private study..."

One of the desks was in use- an open laptop, piles of neat hand-written notes and a couple of journals. I recognised Edward's laptop and notes, but he was nowhere to be seen. I started looking round for him subtly. As a VDI employee he was welcome to use the library and he was now a familiar face to the whole office but I hadn't told him that we would be showing Aro and Marcus Volturi around it.

"And I see someone is using the exemplary facilities." Marcus commented. Sam glanced my way. He was also aware it was Edward.

"Someone who is interested in academic international law and commerce." Aro added, looking over the journals and notes.

Everyone went quiet as the door to the library opened and shut and footsteps came our way. Edward, who was dressed casually in chinos and a navy blue polo shirt, was humming along to MGMT's 'Kids' but as he rounded the corner froze as he took us all in.

"Oh! Um..."

"Signor Aro and Signor Marcus Volturi, this is Edward Cullen, a visiting associate from the London City office. Edward, this is Aro and Marcus Volturi." I introduced, blushing slightly.

"Edward Cullen? Ah, you work for Tanya, don't you? Finance division?" Marcus commented.

"Yes. Although I'm currently on sabbatical until mid-June, _Signore."_

"Aha!" Aro exclaimed, turning to me. "_Quindi questo è il tuo fidanzato!" _

Edward came over and stood next to me, and draped his arm around my waist.

"_Sì, Signore. Lei è la mia fidanzata e l'amore della mia vita."_ He replied. I couldn't help but curl into his side.

"_Mio Dio_! Does everyone speak Italian around here?" Aro exclaimed. We all laughed.

"Just Edward and me." I answered.

"So, Edward, we were just commenting on your reading material. Academic law interests you?" Marcus asked.

"Yes. Very much."

"It is one of Aro's interests as well."

"Is it _Signore_?"

"Yes, very much. " Aro replied, echoing Edward's words. "I would be very interested to discuss our common interest with you further!" He exclaimed, his steely-blue eyes becoming animated.

"Why don't you all join us for dinner? We are going to Le Caprice tonight." Marcus suggested, mentioning the French restaurant in the Four Seasons, where I presumed they were staying.

"_Sì! Buona idea, mio fratello!"_ Aro clapped his hands together. I knew from working with Marcus in Rome that one did not turn down his dinner invitations.

"Of course! We will be there!" I answered for Edward and myself.

"Yes of course. I just need to let my wife, Emily, know." Sam answered.

"Bring her along!"

"Thank you sir, I will."

-cc-

Dinner with Aro and Marcus was certainly interesting. Edward and Aro got on like a house on fire, discussing minutiae of academic international law, getting particularly animated when discussing ways to break down essential legal principles to teach them to students. The rest of us discussed some of the highlights of our careers so far, the conference Aro and Marcus were going to and some of the interesting things to do in Kuala Lumpur. Marcus and I also talked about my career aspirations.

"Siobhan tells me that you will be taking up an executive post on your return to Leeds. Industrial law appears to be suiting you."

"Very much so." I agreed. "I like the challenge, it's never boring and Siobhan is a great mentor."

"So you're happy there." I nodded. "Part of me is disappointed. I'm still hopeful of recruiting you to work with me in European Union Law. Siobhan would kill me, mind!"

"I am very happy with her team, and I am looking forward to returning to Leeds. I don't mind working on the odd project with you in Rome though, as long as Siobhan's all right with it."

I glanced at Edward who was laughing at something Aro said, and smiled. Marcus followed my gaze.

"And you and Edward will be OK with the distance? It's a long way from London to Leeds, no?"

"We're still working out what we're going to do." I replied quietly, hoping that we could change the subject soon.

"I see." He smiled kindly at me. "So Isabella, tell me, which dessert takes your fancy? I think I like the look of the chocolate and pistachio delice."

-cc-

When I returned home from work four days later, on Friday evening, later than usual thanks to a last-minute client meeting, it was to the smell of pizza sauce. I couldn't immediately see Edward so I walked to the bedroom and changed into a t-shirt and shorts. It had been a particularly muggy day in downtown Hong Kong and I felt gross and sticky. When I came out into the living room, I could see and hear Edward on the balcony, talking on his mobile.

"It's very tempting, but I don't know..." He was pacing up and down. He looked stressed. "...no, it's not as simple as that... there are other factors I need to consider..." He looked up and saw me, blew me a kiss and mouthed 'Sorry, I'll be there in a minute.' I nodded and took a seat on the sofa, but still eavesdropped.

"No, I didn't ask him to make me the offer, but you know that I wasn't that happy in London before my sabbatical...as I said, it's not as simple as do I want to work for you, do I want to work for him...I'll let you know when I know...yes I'm aware that I'm being vague..." He sighed. "OK, I'll talk to you again on Monday or Tuesday. Bye Miss Denali."

He walked back inside and threw his mobile on the armchair before sitting next to me, placing his head in my lap and groaning loudly. I ran my fingers through his hair and scratched his scalp lightly. He hummed with appreciation.

"Tough phone call, by the sounds of it." I commented after a couple of minutes.

"Yeah, Aro Volturi wants me to work with him in Rome for six months. He wants me to finish my associate's contract with him instead and Tanya Denali is exceedingly pissed off."

"I'm not surprised. Only the founding partners can usurp her authority. Her mother Sasha in Moscow, Marcus, Aro, Siobhan and Liam." I replied. Tanya Denali also had a bit of a soft spot for Edward, which would only add to her ire over Aro's offer.

"Yeah. She rang me from Kuala Lumpur. I think she thought that I would tell her that I wasn't interested, that I was definitely coming back to London."

"And what do you actually want to do?"

"I definitely prefer the job Aro's offering- still working in Finance but also working with him on a research project. Less boardroom, more books. It's the first time I've felt excited about work in ages, but I'm not interested in Rome if you're going to be in Leeds."

"So we're not actually any closer to a solution to our problem." He shook his head. "And you're not at all tempted by Aro's offer?"

"Not if it means being separated from you, my love." He sat up and kissed me, tangling his long fingers into my hair.

"Mmm...maybe I could talk to Siobhan about me taking a sabbatical and postpone my promotion." I wondered out loud against his lips. He pulled away to look at me, his green eyes wide with surprise.

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course, Handsome." He buried his face into my neck and inhaled deeply.

"But I don't want to hold you back." He mumbled.

"You won't. It's my choice, Edward. I'll admit, it's not ideal but it won't kill me to wait six months to be promoted."

"OK. Let's see what happens next week." He kissed me once more before getting up. "Now, let me feed you. I'm making pizza!"

"So I can smell! I can't wait!"

Edward led me to the kitchen, pulled out the pizzas from the oven- one wild mushroom, one salami- and started cutting them. He had outdone himself. They were delicious. We were half way through our first pieces when there was a loud knock at the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?" Edward asked me.

"No. Maybe it's one of the neighbours." I got up and went to open the door.

"Hello, young one!" Siobhan strode into my hallway.

"What on earth are you doing here?" She embraced me warmly. "No Liam?"

"Liam's in Russia, working on an oil conglomerates merger. I've got a ten-hour layover on my way home from the conference in KL and I thought I'd stop by, you know, see how you're doing. I've missed you!" She tossed her red hair and shifted her weight from foot to foot.

"Aww, that's sweet." I replied. "And your ulterior motive is...?" She laughed. I knew her too well.

"Bella? Are you OK, my darling? Who is it?" Edward came through into the hall.

"Ah, you must be Bella's _fidanzato! _I've been hearing all about you from Aro and Marcus._"_ Siobhan exclaimed. "Hello, I'm Siobhan Ireland."

Edward's eyes widened in surprise for the second time that night.

"Oh, wow!" He rushed forward to shake her hand. "It's an honour to meet you Mrs Ireland. I'm Edward Cullen."

"Now, now, none of that 'Mrs Ireland' business. Call me Siobhan." She replied. "Now, tell me, what smells so good, and are you prepared to share?"

"It's homemade pizza. Bella's been teaching me how to cook and bake." Edward said, smiling to himself. He considered every successful dish he made a huge milestone. "We have loads. I made two huge ones."

"Well then, lead the way!"

When we were all sat around the kitchen island, tucking in, Siobhan started talking.

"So, Edward, you've certainly set the cat among the pigeons!"

"W-what do you mean?"

"We had a rather interesting partners' meeting at the conference yesterday. Aro and Tanya ended up having quite the argument about you." She said, taking a sip of her wine. "Tanya wants you to be the next big thing in Finance, and Aro's convinced you should join his up-and-coming Academic Law division."

"Yes, I got that impression after the angry phone call I had not long ago from Tanya Denali."

"Well after the meeting, Marcus took me aside and told me that he didn't think you would take Aro up on any offer because of Bella. Is that right?"

Edward picked up my hand and kissed it before nodding. We shared a glance before I replied,

"We don't want to be apart Siobhan. It's a long story but basically it's taken us eight years to get together and we don't want to waste any more time being apart."

"Yes. Whilst I would love to take up Aro's offer to join him in Rome for the next six months, I won't be away from Bella. I love the ethos at VDI but I'm prepared to quit rather than be apart from her. I've not been too happy in Finance anyway, and that was one of the reasons I took the sabbatical that I'm on currently."

"Hmm, and Bella, what are your thoughts?"

"I was actually going to call you on Monday to explain and see whether I might be able to postpone my promotion and take a sabbatical so I Edward and I could be together in Rome."

"Well, whilst Aro was communicating with Edward, Marcus and I were putting our heads together. He's desperate for you to work with him, so I was very pleased to hear that you told him you were happy with us in Leeds."

"I am. Leeds is where I want to settle as an executive. It's a place close to Edward's heart as well."

"Yes, I did my undergrad there. I'd be happy wherever Bella is but to settle back in Leeds would be great in the long-term."

"I see. Well, on the understanding that you return to Leeds and my team in six months, I have agreed, if you're amenable, to loan you out to Marcus so that you can be in Rome with Edward."

"What? Seriously?" Edward exclaimed.

"Completely. Bella, when you join my team as an executive, I want it to be wholeheartedly, young one. You're my protégée. You're already more productive than half my executives put together. But if your heart is in one place and your body is in another, that won't remain the case. I see this as a means to an end."

"So I'd be a senior associate for Marcus?" Siobhan shook her head.

"You're beyond that now, young one. Overqualified. but you can't join his team as an executive because that's a permanent posting. So you would be 'Special Industrial Advisor' to Marcus's European Union Law department, specifically working within European emerging markets because that's where Marcus needs your help. The pay would be at executive level though."

"What happens in six months after Edward's post with Aro finishes?" I asked.

"I was just wondering that." Edward added.

"Well, you would have several options. You could apply for a senior associate or junior exec position for one of the divisions operating out of Leeds, or apply for a sponsorship to do research, but I have a feeling that your time in Rome will throw up other opportunities that you might find appealing, if academic law is your thing."

Edward and I looked at each other, confused. What was she getting at?

"I can see you're perplexed and I'm sorry I cannot give you more details but if you play your cards right in Rome Edward, you could find yourself with a permanent post in Leeds doing academic law."

"I...uh...wow...that would be awesome!" he stuttered, grinning widely.

"Now, now young one, don't jump for joy just yet. Lots of ducks need to get lined up first. So make sure that when you get out to Rome, you line them up."

Pizza, wine and ice cream consumed, Siobhan left for the airport. As I showed her to the door, she whispered,

"I've never seen you so happy, Bella. And he looks pretty damn pleased too, like you hung the moon. Hold onto each other OK?"

"I plan to, Siobhan. Now that I finally have Edward, I'm never letting him go."

-cc-

**AN: Thanks for reading and please consider leaving me a review? **

**Here is the English translation of the Italian used in the text:**

"_Pensi che è suo fratello o il suo fidanzato?" _(Do you think he's her brother or her boyfriend?)

_Il mio fidanzato, Edward. Egli è anche un avvocato. _(He's my boyfriend, Edward. He's also a lawyer.)

_Quindi questo è il tuo fidanzato!"_ (So this is your boyfriend!)

"_Sì, Signore. Lei è la mia fidanzata e l'amore della mia vita." _(Yes Sir. She is my girlfriend and the love of my life.)

"_Mio Dio_!" (My God!)

"_Sì! Buona idea, mio fratello!" _(Yes! Good idea, my brother.)

_Fidanzato/fidanzata _(boyfriend/girlfriend or fiancé/fiancée)


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: Hi and welcome to the second of two chapters being posted today. This one is all in Edward's point of view. If you're reading the EPOV companion piece 'High Stays The Tide,' the corresponding chapter in that will have a surprise POV (not Bella). I'll be publishing that in around 2-3 weeks. **

**This chapter's got some lemony-sweet fluff in it, FYI. **

**I do not own Twilight. I wish I did! **

**Enjoy! **

**-cc-**

**Chapter 18**

**EPOV**

My beautiful girlfriend Bella is lying asleep in my arms. Her long chocolate brown hair spills across my bare chest and I can't help but caress the silken strands and twirl them in my fingers. Sunlight is peeking through the shutters and it is far later in the morning than she would normally allow herself to sleep, but it is her 30th birthday today. She deserves a lie-in and looks so peaceful, so angelic, that I can't bear to wake her. We have taken a couple of days off to have a long weekend, at my insistence; Bella would quite happily have gone into work today.

We have been in Rome for nearly three months, and they have been the happiest of my life. Bella and I are living together in the Campo de' Fiori district (which we shorten to just 'Campo' or _Il Campo_), which just happens to be a leisurely ten-minute walk from the VDI Roma offices, and round the corner from where Bella's brother Peter lives with his family. It is technically Bella's apartment but she tells me that she considers it ours. We are slowly renovating it and she is insistent that I have as much input into the decisions as I want, which has meant that we have decided upon everything equally. Every morning we stop in the square for breakfast in the open-air before walking hand-in-hand to work. I catch the jealous looks of the local men we pass and I can't help but stand tall and proud and smirk back at them. _Yes, she is mine. Lei è il mio amore. La mia Bella._

Every day, I find something new to love about her.

She talks in her sleep sometimes. Often it is just some incoherent mumbling, but occasionally she breathes my name. When she does that, warmth and love bubble through me at the realisation that I am a part of her unconscious mind, part of her soul, just like she is part of mine. She tells me that I talk in my sleep as well and that when I say her name, it makes her feel the same way.

She is always so positive, so motivated, so encouraging. I am a fastidious planner, and get stressed and beat myself up when my plans go awry, before getting on with the job. Bella plans too, but when things don't go according to her plans, she modifies and adjusts without the worry. She's always in my corner, supporting me, offering suggestions and most importantly, she never lets me get away with my self-pitying tendencies. I've become happier in my own skin, and that is entirely down to her.

It's also the little things that are wonderful about her. Bella organises her DVDs in the same way as me. If she's updating her iTunes library with new music, she'll put tracks she thinks I will like on mine as well. I've never disliked anything she's suggested. When we watch TV, her favourite thing is to have me lie with my head in her lap whilst she plays with my unruly hair. The feel of her fingers pulling at my hair has me purring like a cat.

With my previous girlfriends I was never particularly bothered about sex but around Bella I am virtually insatiable so it's a good thing that Bella is not shy when it comes to carnal activities. It goes without saying that sex with her is the best I've ever had, or ever will have. We have christened every surface of this apartment, several patches of grass in the gardens of the Villa Borghese and at least three supply cupboards at work. She likes us to sleep together naked (except when it is her time of the month) and doesn't like my morning wood to go to waste.

I am happy at work for the first time in at least three years. Aro has me working in the Finance department of VDI Roma two days a week, but with the rest of my work time, I am working on a project looking into new ways of teaching legal practice and commercial law, using interactive technology and the internet. I run practice sessions with the summer school law students at Sapienza University of Rome, where Aro's wife is a law lecturer, in both Italian and English. It is incredibly rewarding to have students, who had no idea about the subject at the start of the sessions, demonstrate full understanding just a few days later.

Bella is happy too, although I know that she is looking forward to taking the lead on more challenging cases when she returns to the Industry division. Marcus's area of expertise is European Union Law and Intellectual Property in Emerging Markets; Bella's Masters' degree and previous Industry cases have given her quite a lot of experience in those fields so she has proven herself a worthy advisor to his team. I am eternally grateful that she essentially postponed her promotion for me. I continue to be in awe of her strength and selflessness.

"Mmm..." she wriggles a little in my arms and I loosen my grip. "...Edward..." Bella turns over so she is fully on her front, causing the sheets to ride down and reveal her smooth back. She presses herself against me and drapes an arm over my waist before hooking her leg across my hips. I can feel her breasts pressing against me, and I can feel the heat from her centre just inches away from my rapidly hardening cock.

Her hair is in her face so I smooth it back before caressing the side of her face and dropping a few light kisses on her temple and brow. Her eyes remain closed but the corner of her mouth lifts slightly; she is starting to wake. I continue to rain feather-light kisses over her forehead, over her temples, over her eyelids and her cheeks. She starts to smile broadly and her eyelids start to flutter.

"Mmm...what a lovely way to wake up." She murmurs as her eyes open for the first time. As it always does whenever our eyes meet, my heart lurches a little. Those pools of chocolate of hers get me every time.

"Happy birthday, Bella, my love." I tilt her chin up and lean down to kiss her rosy lips.

"Don't remind me." She grimaces slightly. Bella has never liked her birthday, or being fussed over, and made me promise a few weeks ago not to make a big deal of it.

The irony is, of course, that she completely went to town for my 30th birthday, just after we arrived in Rome. She got Peter and Charlotte to organise a three-tier lemon cake, she flew in my parents for the weekend and got us all tickets to see The Barber of Seville, knowing that all of us Cullens are opera fans (as is she). It was spectacular, just like she.

"Your birthday is definitely something worth celebrating." I reply and she raises an eyebrow, silently asking if I have gone against my promise. "Relax Gorgeous, I haven't made a big deal of it, I swear."

I am telling her a little white lie, of course. I myself haven't made a big deal, but I have been in cahoots with several people for the past three weeks. I just hope she doesn't kill us all later.

"Good." She relaxes and nuzzles against my chest, casually kissing me over my heart. "However, there is one thing I want, Baby...I hope you'll oblige me."

She smirks at me and scoots upwards before brushing my lips with hers. I dip my tongue into her waiting mouth and sweep it along hers. Bella moans slightly and deepens our kiss even further, running her hands into my hair to bring me even closer. Her nipples are hard dark pink pebbles and rub tantalisingly against my chest. I hold Bella close to me by placing one of my hands in the small of her back, and use my free hand to grope at one of her breasts, loving the feel of her soft mound in my hand. It's a perfect fit.

Bella whimpers slightly when I squeeze her tit and bounces a little, right against my dick, which is now painfully hard. She removes one of her hands from my hair and trails it down my side and hip before gripping my member in her hot little hand. I gasp against her mouth as her touch sends waves of hot pleasure through my groin.

"God, Bella!" I cry, amazed my words actually sound coherent. She pumps me slowly, occasionally running her thumb over the head of my cock, which is leaking all over her hand. As she does so, she whispers into my ear.

"You are the only thing I've wanted this birthday, for all my birthdays. And now that I have you, I'll want for nothing else. Ever."

She suddenly lets go of my cock and with a moan impales herself on it so that I am surrounded by her tight, searing, moist heat. She is sitting upright on me, her face enraptured with her own pleasure as she bounces up and down on my cock, her walls clamping around me. I run my hands from her waist to her ass and back again, unable to let them settle. Bella eventually takes them and places them on her ass, and encourages me to squeeze her cheeks, moaning appreciatively as I do. She also circles her hips and grinds down on my dick, and I can tell from her lip-biting and the spread of red across her neck and chest that she is getting closer to her orgasm. I'm not far off too. In fact I'm desperately trying not to lose it before she does.

I let go of one of her ass cheeks and move my hand to her clitoris, and begin circling. At the same time I slap her ass cheek lightly with my other hand, causing her to cry out and open her eyes in surprise. For a moment I think I've done wrong but she grins.

"Again." She says simply. I oblige. "Harder." I oblige again, setting up a rhythm of circling her clit and slapping her ass alternately. It helps me delay blowing my load too early. She speeds up her bouncing and moaning, and I know she's trying to hold off as long as she can too.

"Bella, my love, let go. I know you really want to come." I breathe, rubbing her clit faster. She lifts her arms and wraps them around her head before nodding in agreement.

"Edward, God! EDWARD!" she yells as her climax rips through her. Her breaths come in little pants punctuated by small whimpers as she rides me through her orgasmic aftershocks. It is enough to end me tumbling over the edge myself.

"Oh my Bella, my love! Bella! BELLA! BELLA!" I cry as my seed spills into her, my mind and body overwhelmed by the rush of love I feel for her every time we are together like this.

She leans forward and I rise up to meet her mouth feverishly, still inside her.

"I love you, I love you so much, Edward." She pants in between our kisses.

"I love you right back, my darling." I reply as our kisses come to an end. She nuzzles back into my neck and we stay there for a minute or two before she starts to squirm a little.

"Are you OK, Bella?" She laughs.

"More than OK, Baby. I'm just quite sticky down below and need the loo." She pulls away from me and I moan at the loss of her warmth. She turns round and drops a kiss on my forehead. "Give me a couple of minutes and then follow me into the bathroom?"

As if I'm going to say no to wet, naked Bella.

-cc-

An hour later we are sat at an outside table at our favourite bakery/coffee bar, having a late breakfast of cappuccinos and _cornetti_, croissant-like pastries. Bella looks serene, sunglasses on, just people-watching, whilst I lazily hold her hand in my lap, draw circles on her palm and play with the simple platinum bangle adorned with a single sapphire that I gave to her as a birthday present. She didn't want to accept it but I was persistent and insistent. She reluctantly admitted, once I got it on her wrist, that she loved it, and showed me in no uncertain terms, that she loved me too.

Bella thinks that we are going to spend the day buying some food in the Campo food market, then taking a leisurely stroll to the Villa Borghese Gardens, having a picnic in the gardens and then dinner at a seafood restaurant with Peter and Charlotte. We are, but what she doesn't know is that it won't just be us.

I spot the first additions to our party walking towards us from across the square. Alice is dancing along as she usually does, with Jasper smiling as he strides beside her. Bella glances up at me before following my gaze, gasping when she spots her friends, and gasps again as she spots Ben and Angela, who are each holding one of their three-year old twin boys Jared and Alexander by the hand.

"What the..." she looks at me briefly, scrunching up her face before beaming at me and getting up to greet our closest friends with big hugs.

"I can't believe you're here! How are you here?" Bella turns to me. "This is your doing isn't it?"

"Bella, Bella, Bella! It's nothing to do with Edward. We just decided to surprise you!" Alice exclaims. Bella doesn't buy it of course, but that's our story and we're sticking to it, for now at least. She sits down in her chair and Alice and Jasper sit opposite, whilst Ben, Angela and the twins sit at the table next door.

"Mmm...are there any more surprises lurking?" she asks me, placing her hand back in mine in my lap.

"Just us, Bells." A deep, gruff male voice comes from behind us. I stiffen instantly. The both of us turn round to see Peter, Charlotte (who is holding Gianna in her arms), and a couple who are quite clearly Bella's parents, Renee and Charlie.

Renee is about Bella's height and has the same slender frame, but with green-hazel eyes and shoulder-length wavy sandy-coloured hair (like Peter's) with streaks of blonde in it. She is beaming widely and I realise that she is from where Bella gets her disarming smile. Charlie on the other hand has a determinedly neutral expression on his face. He is around 6', the same height as Peter, with dark brown cropped hair, the deep dark brown eyes I internally call 'Swan Eyes' and an imposing moustache. He eyes our joined hands in my lap and I immediately let go. I know that Bella's parents are coming, of course, and I have been quietly stressing about it all week as I will be meeting them for the first time. They know about our relationship but Bella's father is very protective of his little girl. I am sure that he'll take one look at me and decide I'm not worthy of her, and he would be right.

"Mum and Dad?" She jumps up again and hugs them warmly. I get to my feet too, praying I don't fuck up this first meeting. "Why are you here?"

"Well, we found ourselves with a free long weekend and decided to visit. See our grandchild as well as our all-grown-up babies!" Renee replies, squeezing her cheeks, causing Bella to blush.

"Mu-um..." Bella whines.

"Sorry, I just can't help myself!" Renee turns to me. "And you must be the famous Edward! And Bella wasn't kidding when she said you were a handsome one." I smile at her compliment.

"Pleasure to meet you Mrs Swan."

"Now now young man, don't let me hear you call me that again, OK? It's 'Renee.' 'Mrs Swan' makes me feel like I'm in trouble or really, really old!"

"OK, Renee." I take a deep breath and turn to the imposing ex-military captain that is Charlie Swan and hold out my hand. "A pleasure to meet you too Sir."

"Mm-hm." He shakes my hand but doesn't invite me to call him Charlie. Bella notices his coolness and grips my hand to reassure me. I hope I can get him to warm to me, because I have something very important to discuss with him later.

We have a great day picnicking in the Villa Borghese Gardens. Gianna adores Jared and Alex, and the three of them have great fun together, unaware of how much they are entertaining the grown-ups. Alice and Jasper, continuing the family theme of the afternoon, give Bella a very special present. Alice is thirteen weeks pregnant and they ask her to be godmother to their child. Bella is ecstatic for them and delighted to be asked to be godmother.

On the walk back to Campo, I fall into step with Alice and Jasper who comment on how great a couple Bella and I make. I am surprised but delighted to hear it.

"Well, I'm a just glad you got your head out your ass, man." Jasper drawls.

"I couldn't agree more." I reply.

"I think the problem was that both of you were scared to go after the thing you wanted the most. Too scared of rejection, too scared that it might fail and the implications of that." Alice says, very insightfully.

"I hope you're over that now." Jasper adds.

I am more than over it because I plan on being with Bella forever.

-cc-

"Rosalie Lillian Hale! Oh my God!" Bella squeals as we enter the restaurant. "I was on the phone with you yesterday and you didn't say a thing!"

The two women embrace warmly in the foyer of the little seafood restaurant a block away from our apartment. Bella loves this place and the owner, Benito, adores her so it was pretty easy to book out the back room for her birthday.

"Well, since you came all the way to Paris for my 30th, I figured we could jump onto a flight to Rome for the weekend." Rosalie replies before Emmett steps forward.

"Yeah, Bella. Besides, London's freezing. Be good to get some Italian sunshine." Emmett adds, sweeping my love into a big bear hug.

"Yeah, and Embry and I fancied a last-minute holiday!" Seth adds, pulling her out of Emmett's hug and into one of his own. "You didn't really think that we'd let you get away with doing now't to celebrate did you?" He sees her give me a dirty look and says, "Now don't blame Edward. We would have done something anyway, and it probably would have been supremely embarrassing."

"Yeah. You should be grateful. Peter, Charlotte and Edward totally put their foot down." Alice chimes in.

"I am." Bella says, kissing me lightly on the cheek. "I'm really happy that you're all here."

We sit down to our meal and it is sublime as always. Bella moves around the table in between courses catching up with everyone, and by dessert, she is sat chatting between Renee and Ben leaving a spare seat between Charlie and Jasper.

I get up and sit between them, and start talking to Jasper. Now that I know that he and Bella never hooked up, I've let myself like him. We chat about work, Leeds and his impending fatherhood. He is excited, absolutely scared shitless and also delighted. After a few minutes, there is a lull in the conversation and I start to psych myself up to talking to Charlie. Jasper appears to sense my apprehension and leans forward.

"What's the matter, Ed, man?"

"Um..." I glance over my shoulder to Charlie but can't quite vocalise that I'm scared to talk to him.

"Oh, I get it!" Jasper says before dropping his voice to a whisper. "Charlie's cool, man. Just an old-school military guy. Gives nothin' away. Talk to him, make it clear how much you adore his little girl and he'll start warmin' to ya."

"Thanks." I whisper back before turning to Charlie.

I wait for him to finish talking to Charlotte who is on his other side and pick up the water jug before offering to fill his half-empty glass.

"Uh, sure. Thanks Edward."

"No problem sir." I reply, but then my mouth dries up. I gulp at my own water whilst desperately trying to find an opening line.

"So..."

"So..."

"You first."

"After you."

We both laugh a little, and he gestures at me to continue.

"I just wanted to say thank you for coming over, sir. I know Bella hates surprises, but we knew she would be happy to have you here for her birthday." I say.

"No problem. We would have come along in the next few weeks anyway but it's nice to be part of her actual birthday for once." He replies, smiling to himself. "She hasn't let us celebrate since the disaster that was her fifth birthday."

"What happened on her fifth birthday?"

"I'd been stationed in the Falkland Islands. She'd only just started school and we'd only been there a couple of months. Renee invited the whole school, which was only around 30 kids, and one of my colleagues offered to dress up as a clown. We surprised her, but instead of being happy about it, she burst into tears and hid under her bed for the rest of the day."

"Oh no! Why?"

"She got overwhelmed by the number of people, the singing and all the fuss over her. We also hadn't realised that Peter had been telling her scary stories about clowns being brain-eating zombies either, so when she saw my colleague all dressed up, it was just too much." I cover my mouth to suppress a laugh.

"Oh, no. Poor Bella! It explains a lot though." I tell him. "I hope she'll forgive me for my part in getting everyone here."

We both look over at Bella who is smiling and rosy-cheeked, now perched on the edge of her mother's chair whilst talking to Rosalie.

"She seems happier than I've ever seen her. Renee believes that's because of you." He turns to face me and he has a serious expression again.

"Bella makes my life complete. I love her, sir, more than life itself."

"Really? Weren't you engaged to another woman this time last year?" _Shit. Big stinking shit._

"Yes, but that was a mistake." I inhale deeply. "Sir, I'm aware that I have a long way to go to prove myself worthy of Bella, but I promise you, I am in love with her. I would never have gotten involved with other women if I'd thought I had a chance with Bella and now that we're together, I intend to prove every day that she was right to wait for me."

"You realise that if you hurt our Bella, Peter and I will hurt you?" He is deadly serious.

"Yes sir. Peter has made that very clear. I promise you that if I hurt Bella, you have my permission to hurt me in any way you see fit."

"Hmm. So your intentions are..." he pauses, "...long term?"

"Yes." I drop my voice to a whisper. "Mr Swan, I can't imagine life without her. With your blessing, I would like to marry her one day."

Charlie raises his eyebrow.

"Woah, you don't hang around do you, Edward?" He whispers back. "You and Bella have been together what, five months?" _Yes but I've loved her for eight-and a half years!_

"I don't know whether it will be next month or next year or maybe even longer than that, but it is my intention."

"Mmm...I think you're a decent guy. Peter and Charlotte seem to think so, and my Bella's a very astute judge of character. If she wants to marry you then she'll do it with or without our blessing, but if it's important to you, then ask me again before you actually propose."

I nod but before I can say any more, he gets up and goes to the restrooms.

_Well at least he didn't say no._

-cc-

Bella has drunk an awful lot tonight; she's virtually matched me glass for glass and considering she weighs at least sixty pounds less than me, it's affected her a lot more. She is staggering by the time we leave the bar and I end up carrying her up the stairs and into the apartment. She doesn't complain at all, which is a sure sign that she is pissed as a newt and exhausted. I lay her on our bed and pull off her strappy high heel shoes, undress her, and, because she gets cold during the night when she's had too much to drink, put her into my old Leeds University football team t-shirt. For some reason she absolutely loves it, but blushes when I ask and won't tell me why.

She has fallen asleep but I know that she doesn't like to go to bed without a clean face so I go to the bathroom and find the cleansing wipes she uses to take off her make-up when she wears it, which isn't that often because she doesn't need to. She's blessed with perfectly dewy skin, rosy lips and her dark eyes are framed with such thick lashes that it looks like she's wearing eyeliner, but she's not. I take the soft wipe and sweep it across her skin, removing the makeup and the day's grime. She hums slightly but she doesn't wake up. It's very rare for her to let me take care of her, but I cherish any opportunity.

I strip to my boxers, brush my teeth and then climb into bed next to her. Bella turns over and comes to rest on my chest, but she is a restless sleeper when she goes to bed drunk, and after a few minutes, turns onto her side. I spoon her for a while but I can't sleep for some reason. My mind keeps turning over several things. First is the conversation with Bella's father. I have some way to go before he warms to me the way he has with Charlotte, who he treats with the same love and affection he does Bella and Peter, but I do think that I have made a little progress. The other thing that I keep thinking about is my future following the end of my six months with Aro.

Being with Bella is still (and will always be) my utmost priority. However, I finally feel like I'm on the right track when it comes to my own career. Academic law, teaching students and doing research is what I love, and what I'm best at. It's nowhere near as glamorous as being a practising corporate lawyer. However, academic law is important to ensure the best education of future lawyers and to ensure that our work is based on the best quality evidence, and that we are up to date with the latest precedents. I really want to continue working in this field, and am desperate to find a way to do so and stay living with Bella. If the two turn out to be mutually exclusive, however, I would choose Bella, every time.

As I'm thinking over this, I think about the legal education Bella and I had. City of London Law School is one of the best in the country, but even then there were gaps in our training that only became clear once we started working and some of the teaching methods were stuck in the Dark Ages. The teaching styles were didactic and dull for a lot of the subjects, and didn't make the most of modern technologies such as the internet, remote access and mobile devices.

The idea comes to me all of a sudden.

_Why doesn't VDI have its own law school?_

VDI are certainly big enough to support its own school. I know from working with Aro and through hearing of partners' gossip from Bella (who heard it from Siobhan Ireland- she and Bella are very close) that the relationship between VDI and the City of London Law School is currently rather fractious, because of concerns from the partners about the gaps in their teaching.

However, London is saturated with law students as there are so many schools. If Bella and I hadn't have had the back-up of sponsorship from VDI we would have really struggled to get work-experience and internships. Just getting into court to view criminal trials had been difficult, let alone getting experience of corporate law where a lot of the work took place in private boardrooms. Despite the fact that VDI was founded in London, (although the Volturi brothers are Italian, the Denalis are of Russian origin and the Irelands are, well, Irish, the firm is a British listed company) I don't think that if VDI was to set up its own law school, it should be in London. _So where?_

As I sober up, my mind begins whirring with ideas. I kiss my slumbering Bella gently on the forehead before getting up and padding out to the living area. I wake up my laptop and start tapping out some of my thoughts. I get more and more excited as I start thinking about planning how to pitch the idea to Aro and the other senior partners.

Suddenly I remember Siobhan's words to Bella and me when she dropped by in Hong Kong.

"_...if you play your cards right in Rome Edward, you could find yourself with a permanent post in Leeds doing academic law."_

I don't know if the setting up of a law school was what she was getting at, but Leeds as a location is a very workable idea. The most important thing to me, of course, is I could still be with Bella, but putting that aside, Leeds has many advantages.

It is a substantial city with a huge student culture, but with only a couple of small law schools. It is a major business hub for not only Northern England, but Northern Europe too. I know from Bella that VDI own the building in Leeds where the offices are based, and there is a whole floor of empty office space that hasn't been leased out for over two years. Set-up costs would be cheaper in Leeds than in London. There are two good universities in the city with which a new law school could foster academic links. If an in-house school was successful in Leeds, it could be rolled out to other cities, but if not, then it would be less conspicuous city than London in which to fail.

Realising that I am never going to be able to sleep until I have put all my ideas down and drafted a pitch, I get to work, more inspired than ever before.

-cc-

**AN: So, what did you think? Liking the EPOV? Or not so much? Please let me know what you think. I love hearing from you! **

**The next chapter will be posted in two weeks. **


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: Hello! I hope you're all having a good week! Thanks to all of you for reading and special thanks to everyone who reviewed, added me to alerts or favourites! **

**A slightly earlier post than I planned thanks to an unexpected free evening, and I'm going to be posting on Sunday as well. **

**I don't own Twilight's original characters but I do own this story!**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 19**

"Edward, relax, Baby." Edward was pacing up and down in the seating area outside Aro Volturi's office.

"I'm trying Gorgeous, but I'm really nervous. Really fucking nervous." Edward's hair was gradually getting more and more unruly as he tugged at it. "What if he hates it? What if he tears it to shreds?"

I stood up and grabbed his hand. His pacing ceased instantly as he linked his fingers with mine. I let him pull me into his arms and his erratic breathing calmed a little. I stood on my tiptoes and, mindful of the fact that we were in the workplace, kissed him briefly but with meaning.

"If he hated it, he'd have sent you an email telling you in no uncertain terms that he thought it was a shit idea. The fact that we are standing here, three days after you put the pitch on his table, means that he is giving it serious consideration." I told him.

Edward relaxed a little more and sat down.

"I hope you're right, Bella, my darling. Because I really believe in this. I know it's ambitious but it has so much potential to update the way law is taught."

I sat next to him, clasped his hand again, smoothed his hair and kissed his temple. My heart swelled at hearing how passionate he was about his brilliant idea. His eyes had a bit more of a sparkle to them. He had a bit more of a spring in his step and was much happier in his own skin. Since he came up with the idea for an in-house law school at VDI, he had reverted back to the Edward I remembered from our first few months at law school, so enthusiastic and so excited to be a small part of the legal world.

The door opened Aro's personal assistant walked in.

"_Signor Volturi ti vedo ora, Edward." _We both got up and I kissed him on the cheek.

"Good luck Handsome." I whispered, squeezing his hand before starting to leave back to my office.

"_Anche tu, Isabella."_ she added. I whirled round.

"_Anche me?"_ She nodded and tapped her foot impatiently. I quickly followed her and Edward to Aro's office.

"Ah, welcome, Edward, Isabella!" Aro greeted us, his usual effervescent self. "Now, let us get down to the business. Edward, thank you for this." He tapped at the document Edward had produced which he had opened up on his large ornate desk.

"You're welcome _Signore."_ Edward replied, politely. "Um, w-what did you think?"

"What did I think? Hmmm..."Aro clearly enjoyed watching Edward squirm. "I think it is _fantastico!"_ Aro clapped his hands in delight.

"You liked it?" Edward sounded shocked.

"Oh, yes! For many years I have had the idea in my mind, but have never had the time or ability to put together a comprehensive model that had a chance of not only working, but of revolutionising the way we teach law, of competing with the law schools already out there!" Aro exclaimed. "This, dear Edward, is brilliant!"

"Thank you!" Edward glanced at me and beamed, as if he still couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Now I am guessing that one of the reasons for basing the pilot school in Leeds is the fair Isabella?"

"One of them, _Signore_, but not the only reason." Edward reiterated his other reasons.

"And Isabella, what are your thoughts about Edward's idea?"

"I am fully in support of it, _Signore_. I firmly believe that within a few years, VDI could have a school that would rival the best in Europe. It's not going to be easy, but I do believe that it is possible."

"I agree, Isabella. However, there are a few points in the proposal document that I do think need a bit more attention."

"_Signore?_" Edward leant forward, waiting for Aro to clarify.

"Edward, I want you to be completely involved in this project once you finish your associate contract with me and I will be promoting you to executive, but you do not have enough practical legal experience to be the lead on paper." Edward's face dropped with disappointment. He always struggled to hear negative comments because he was so self-deprecating. He took them all very personally.

Aro sipped at his espresso before continuing.

"I see by your face that you feel let down. Rest assured that nobody will be taking away the credit you are due for coming up with the idea. But imagine how it will look. We are one of the biggest corporate law firms in the world. Letting a newly promoted executive with just four years' legal practice set up our new law school will look extremely foolish if it fails, and I won't have the firm look bad in the press."

"So what are you suggesting?" Edward asked quietly.

"On paper, I will be the lead, but you will be doing the hands-on work, making the decisions, etc. Within VDI it would be known that this was your project. If it is a success, then we will give you public credit, and further promotion. If not, I will absorb the loss publically and you can continue as an executive in Leeds or wherever you wish to be, either in academic law or another division of your choice. Or if you wanted to do a PhD, we could arrange sponsorship."

"And I can have that in writing?"

"Of course. Why do you think I asked Isabella here? To act as witness!"

"What else are you concerned about, with regards to the proposal?"

"The timeline. I think it is too ambitious to start the pilot in a year's time. You would have to be ready to receive applications by the end of January and you aren't going to finish your associate's contract until Christmas."

"So aim for the following September?"

"_Si_. Also, your proposal suggests sponsoring all students that enrol. I would like the school to be an affiliated school run by VDI. I want it to generate income so we will have paying students too. Therefore I want you to introduce a complete breakdown of costs and tuition fee structure, as well as a plan for how you will select suitable students. VDI will continue to sponsor students at City of London Law School but in the new school as well, until our school is well-established."

Edward swallowed hard and looked down at the notes he had hastily scribbled down on the copy of his proposal he had brought in with him.

"_Signore _Volturi, may Bella and I have a moment to talk outside?" He asked. Aro did not seem surprised.

"Of course! Take your time!"

Edward and I stood up and quickly walked back to the seating area.

"Edward, what are you thinking?" I asked when he didn't venture any comment.

"I'm thinking that I want to do this, Bella. What Aro said made sense and he is still giving me control over the project."

"I agree. You just need to make sure that Aro sticks to his end of the bargain. Don't let him steal your thunder."

"I don't intend to. This is the first thing I've done in years that I'm really proud of, Gorgeous. I _will_ make sure I get credit, if..."

"_When_!" I corrected.

"...ok, _when_ it is a success!" I kissed him quickly.

"Good. Start positive, Baby, and stay positive. This is going to work."

He beamed his heart-stopping crooked smile at me.

"Yes it is." He leant down and ran his hand from my hair down to my chin. "Shall we go back in?"

"Yes." I held his hand and we walked like that back to Aro's office.

By the end of the day, Edward had an ironclad contract in place. It stated in no uncertain terms that come the end of his associate's contract, he would be the first ever Academic Law Division executive at Volturi, Denali and Ireland, that his base would be Leeds, and that his sole responsibility would be the development and launch of VDI's as-yet-unnamed law school. The contract also stipulated that Edward had full control of everything, from choice of project team members to methods of student selection, with the stipulations that we had discussed in Aro's office, including that Aro would be the public face of the project but would give Edward credit once the project was deemed a success.

We were ecstatic. However, I couldn't let that cloud my judgement, and before I let Edward sign it, I insisted on looking over it myself, and also getting Siobhan to review it as well. Although Aro was the official lead for the Academic Law division and for the law school project, Edward would need local mentorship from a partner when the going got tough. Siobhan didn't particularly have a head for academic law (neither did I really) but was very interested in it. She had complained to me on more than one occasion about the quality of legal teaching these days after more than one run-in with interns whose knowledge and interest in the law was patchy at best. Siobhan had been unsurprised and completely in agreement with Edward's plans, and once she approved the contract and agreed to be Edward's mentor in Leeds, Edward signed on the dotted line.

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"Esme, Carlisle, it's wonderful to see you again!" I exclaimed as I hugged them both upon my return to our apartment on Christmas Eve, three months after Edward signed the contract that would enable him to start work on developing VDI's new law school, and just over a week before our planned move to Leeds on 2nd January. "I'm sorry that there are so many boxes cluttering up the place!"

"Bella, dear, we are delighted to be here!" Esme replied. "And don't worry about the boxes!"

"Yes we're the envy of all our friends back home, being able to spend Christmas in Rome." Carlisle added. "Thank you for putting us up in your apartment."

Edward came to my side and kissed my forehead. We had become so close that it felt like we were one entity. Lately my daydreams imagined a quaint house in the country, with our children running around in the sunshine and open air. However, in the daydream Edward and I also had the careers we always aspired to have.

"_Our_ apartment." I gently corrected. What was mine was his and vice versa. "And it's an honour to have you here. I'm really looking forward to having our two families celebrate together."

"So am I. It's been a very long time since we Cullens were part of a big family Christmas." Edward commented. He had told me that he and his parents hadn't celebrated a big, traditional Christmas since his grandparents died, which was when Edward was a teenager.

"Well I hope that you enjoy this year. My family are really looking forward to getting to know you."

It was true. Peter and Charlotte had met Esme and Carlisle back in June when they came over for Edward's birthday but it was only briefly. Ever since my birthday when Renee and Charlie had started to really appreciate the depth of my connection to and love for Edward, all my family had been asking questions about my future and about what the Cullens were like.

"The feeling is mutual." Carlisle replied. "But I'm sorry to hear from Edward that your sister-in-law's not too well at the moment. Is it anything serious?" He added gently, ever the medical professional.

"I hope not. Charlotte's fourteen weeks pregnant but for some reason she's more fatigued with this pregnancy, and hasn't shaken the morning sickness yet." I explained. "She and my brother were going to host Christmas dinner but it's too much for her even with my parents staying and helping out, so we're going to have it here."

"Well of course I'll help. We can have Edward and Carlisle do the fetching and carrying and odd jobs while we sort out the food."

"Thank you Esme. Edward's actually already made all the breads, a _Panettone_, a traditional Christmas pudding and a little chocolate cake for my niece Gianna. He's also helped me with all the vegetable preparations, and we've already made the starters, so we won't have too much to do tomorrow." I gestured at the array of baked goods that sat on one end of the kitchen counter.

Esme and Carlisle glanced at each other before looking at us open-mouthed. Edward looked smug at his parents' surprise.

"S-sorry? Are we talking about the same Edward? My son who used to struggle making toast?"

Edward squeezed my hand and brought it to his lips briefly before replying. I had been a little shy about public displays of affection in front of his parents when we first met back in Hong Kong but they didn't bat an eyelid. In fact they were far more demonstrative than Edward and I, yet never crossed that fine line where people around them felt awkward.

"Bella taught me." He said proudly.

"Yes, I love cooking so much and he went from being my audience to being my sous-chef!"

Esme let go of Carlisle's arm and rushed forward to hug me.

"I know you had shown him a couple of things but I didn't realise you'd made him good at it! You, my dear Bella, are a miracle-worker. I tried to teach him for years as a teenager!"

"Thank you Esme. I think that once I de-mystified it and broke each recipe into very small steps, he got the hang of it."

"Yeah, I'll never be a natural like Bella but at least I can make a few things now. Baking's easier than cooking I think, because it's more exact. If you follow the recipe, it usually works." Edward said.

I looked back at Esme, who was beaming, but her eyes were glistening slightly. She looked so happy. I didn't really understand- surely it wasn't that big a deal that I showed Edward how to cook and bake?

In order to cause Charlotte as little stress as possible, and to save us cooking two days in a row, we had booked a table at our favourite local fish and seafood restaurant for our Christmas Eve meal. It was the restaurant where Edward hosted my birthday dinner. In Italy it was traditional to have a simple fish-based meal on Christmas Eve and a big feast on Christmas Day.

As we walked over, nerves started to flicker in my stomach. I really wanted my family to get on with Carlisle and Esme, my father especially. When they came over for my birthday in September, my father had quietly pulled me aside and asked if I was sure about Edward, because things appeared to be moving quickly between us. He had been especially worried when he found out Edward and I were living together. I tried to reassure him that I was more in love with Edward than I thought humanly possible, that Edward treated me with such reverence and care that it brought a tear to my eyes sometimes and that there was only goodness in his heart, even if he himself didn't always seem to believe it. Charlie had said nothing but remained slightly aloof. I hoped that in meeting the Cullens he would see what a wonderful a family they were.

"Hello Renee, it's so good to see you again." Edward greeted my mother with a kiss on both cheeks. I swear she swooned a little. He then shook hands with my father. "Very good to see you again sir."

"Call me Charlie, Kid." Edward grinned.

"Yes, thank you sir, Charlie I mean." He replied. "Please may I introduce my parents, Carlisle and Esme? Mum and Dad, these are Bella's parents Renee and Charlie." They all shook hands.

"Lovely to meet you Renee, Charlie." Esme said.

"Yes, we've heard so much about you from Bella." Carlisle added.

"And do you remember my brother and his wife from your last visit?" I asked, gesturing to Peter and Charlotte, who was looking a little pale but better than she had this morning.

"Of course." Esme smiled sweetly at them. "Congratulations on your impending arrival!"

"Thank you." Charlotte replied. "We're delighted, although it's not been the easiest of pregnancies so far."

"Yes, poor Charlotte's been very tired and queasy with this little one." Peter added, rubbing Charlotte's slightly-rounded tummy soothingly. "We're very grateful to Bella and Edward for taking the hosting duties off our hands." I nudged my brother on his arm.

"It's a pleasure, Petey."

"Auntie _Zia_ Bella! Uncle _Zio_ Edward!" Gianna cried, holding out her arms for a hug. She was now three and all of us were trying to teach her Italian in preparation for going to pre-school. "Who them?" She asked, her eyes widening as she took in Carlisle and Esme. She reached for Edward and he swung her up into his arms. She had been very shy around him at first but now adored him, possibly even more than me.

"Well, Gianna, this is my mum, _il mio Mamma, _Esme, and my dad, _il mio Papa_, Carlisle." He told her. She looked at them both seriously and then ducked into his shoulder shyly before lifting her head slowly and pointing at Carlisle.

"He Mufasa!" she said quietly and with awe.

I could see her point. Carlisle emitted a very strong yet placid presence, much like Mufasa in the Lion King.

"Mufasa?" Carlisle asked, smiling at my adorable niece, who ducked again.

"Gianna's just discovered the Lion King. I think we've watched it ten times in the past three days!" Charlie explained. "Mufasa's the Lion King at the start of the movie."

"It's a compliment Dad!" Edward laughed.

Gianna, who always loved it when she had an audience and realising that she was onto something, then pointed to Esme.

"Sarabi!" She cried, referring to Mufasa's queen.

"Oh, what an honour, sweetie!" Esme cried, clearly more au fait with The Lion King than Carlisle. "I tell you what, why don't you just call me Sarabi Esme, and call him Mufasa Carlisle?" she suggested, pointing at her husband.

Gianna nodded happily and petted Esme's caramel-auburn hair.

"Sarabi Esme!" Gianna echoed. Edward handed her to his mother.

"Well, if you have my granddaughter's seal of approval, you must be good folk!" my father said, smiling. "Shall we sit down?" He suggested, clapping Edward on the shoulder as he walked by. Edward nodded and followed but not before turning round to me and giving me the biggest of his crooked smiles. I beamed back. My father's gesture meant that he was accepting of Edward, something that was hugely important to my love.

The rest of the night progressed exceptionally well. Carlisle and my father had both collected stamps and Superman comics as children and spent the whole night talking about their favourites of each. Esme and Renee swapped Edward and Bella baby stories, much to our mutual embarrassment. Peter, Edward, Carlisle and Charlie all loved football and decided to try to see one of the local teams, _SS Lazio_, play before leaving Rome.

We all talked about Edward and me moving to Leeds in the New Year. We were going to move into my house in Leeds, which hadn't sat well with Edward at first. He told me that he felt weird about the fact that we were moving into yet another property that was mine and not ours. I did agree with him but we didn't have time to fly back and forth to find another place to live that was both ours, and it seemed like a waste of money when I had a house that I owned mortgage-free just sitting there, ready and waiting. Therefore we agreed that we would live in my Leeds house for a few months and once we were settled, we would look into buying a house together, or perhaps have him buy into my house if we decided we didn't want to move.

I was looking forward to moving back to England. I had been away for over a year, and effectively so had Edward. As much as I'd enjoyed Hong Kong and Rome, I was itching to get my teeth into my new executive role and to be back in Leeds where I had so many friends. I know that Edward had felt much the same way. In the three months since he signed his new contract, he had continued to build on his ideas for the law school and had regular meetings with Aro.

By 11.15pm, poor Charlotte was dead on her feet, whilst Gianna was asleep in Carlisle's arms. Renee, Esme and Carlisle had decided to go to midnight mass, more for the experience than because they were religious, and Edward decided to go with them. Therefore Carlisle handed Gianna to Peter and they headed towards the church while the rest of my family and I walked towards our apartments.

"Bells, you know I was a bit concerned about Edward last time I was here..." Charlie began.

"Yes Dad?"

"He's a good guy Bells, and he obviously loves you. I just wanted to say that I approve, and I'm happy you're happy."

"Thanks Dad. You know I don't need or want your approval but it's nice to have it all the same." I told him.

"That's my feisty girl!" He chuckled. "Seriously though, I've never seen you so happy."

"Dad, I told you, I'm in love with him. He's the one for me and I'm pretty sure he feels the same way." In fact I knew Edward did. He told me and showed me every day.

"He does, Bells. I _know_ he does." Charlie had a strange, reflective expression on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. It's obvious, is all, but I didn't really appreciate it when I met him last time." We had reached my front door.

"See you tomorrow, Sis." Peter said, shifting Gianna in his arms so he could lean over to kiss me on the cheek.

"Goodnight Petey, Charlotte, Dad. See you in the morning."

"Good night!"

I climbed the two flights of stairs to our apartment. It had been a lucky find and relatively cheap because the old lady from whom I bought it couldn't look after it anymore. It had two bedrooms and a large open-plan kitchen and living area with huge windows on two sides so we had a view of Campo de'Fiori. It had high ceilings with ornate cornices and beautiful traditional shutters. We both adored it. Over the past six months it had gone from being my holiday apartment to being our first home together. We had repainted it, re-sanded and varnished the floorboards, added an en-suite wet room to the guest bedroom, retiled the main bathroom and kitchen and chosen furniture for it. Every single thing we had done, we had done together, equally. I didn't really count the Hong Kong apartment because it had been a corporate let; we had only been there together for eight weeks and Edward had been a visitor rather than working there.

I spent the next hour marinating the meats for the Christmas meal (we were having lamb, which was traditional in Italy, as well as turkey) with garlic and herbs, preparing plates of canapés and a tortellini soup for appetisers and making sure all the crockery and cutlery in the house was ready for tomorrow's celebrations. By the time 1am rolled round, I was tired and decided not to wait up for Edward, Esme and Carlisle.

I washed my face, brushed my teeth and went back into the bedroom. Edward and I were mostly naked sleepers but I felt weird about doing that when we had his parents in the next room. I went to my t-shirt drawer to grab my favourite sleep shirt, Edward's old Leeds University football team t-shirt. It was the t-shirt he was wearing the night I first met him, all those years ago when I went to visit Angela in Leeds. It was very faded and the appliquéd football on the sleeve was hanging by just a couple of threads but I loved it all the same, especially because it had 'Cullen' printed on the back.

The t-shirt wasn't there. I started looking for it before remembering that I had packed it in one of the suitcases ready for our move. Wanting something big that would cover me up just in case I had to nip out to the loo in the middle of the night, I went into Edward's t-shirt drawer to borrow something. He never minded; in fact he loved it when I wore his clothes. I stuck my hand into the back of the drawer and picked up the first t-shirt my hand came into contact with. As I pulled my hand out, my fingers made contact with something small, hard and sort-of furry. I yanked the drawer open fully and right at the back was a small black velvet box. _Is this what I think it is?_

My heart started thumping wildly in my chest and I stared at it for ages. Eventually my curiosity got the better of me and with a shaking hand I picked it up and flicked it open.

Inside was not _a _ring. Inside were _three_ rings. The most prominent was a platinum ring that had a moderate-sized pearl and a round sapphire of a similar size sitting side by side within an infinity symbol lined with small sparkling diamonds. _Pearl and sapphire. Our birthstones. _The other two rings were much simpler- a narrow platinum band half-lined with tiny seed pearls and diamonds, and a wider, larger platinum band channel-set with sapphires and more diamonds. They were clearly a set of engagement ring and two wedding bands. Possibly the most beautiful pieces of jewellery I'd ever seen.

Was Edward about to propose?

My first thought was that I really wanted to be his wife.

However my second and subsequent thoughts were that suddenly being the centre of attention were he to propose in public was scary, and that the prospect of a wedding was utterly terrifying. I wasn't actually worried about the fact that we had only been together a matter of months, because we'd been in love with each other for years and we were already very happily living together. However, we had been in our little private bubble for all that time, away from England and the realities of setting up a permanent home together.

Very slowly I put the ring box back into the corner of the drawer and shut it. I got changed, got into bed and turned out the light. I tried to forget about the ring and its connotations but the more I tried, the more my mind turned the issue over. I wanted to pretend that there was _no _issue, and had it come up with Jake or any of my other exes, I probably would have buried my head in the sand (not that I ever even considered marriage with any of them). But Edward was the love of my life and the man I wanted to have children with. I needed to talk to him about this. I'd spent too long in the past hiding my feelings from him.

As if on cue I heard the front door open and the quiet sounds of Carlisle and Esme bidding Edward goodnight, and Edward heading to the bathroom before coming back into our room. He opened the door and crept in, clearly trying not to wake me.

"It's OK, Baby, I'm up." I said into the dark as I heard him taking off his clothes, before sitting up and flicking the light back on.

"Sorry, Gorgeous, did we wake you?" I shook my head. He put away his clothes (he was incredibly neat and tidy but tolerated my mess remarkably well) and climbed in next to me, wearing just his boxers.

"No I couldn't sleep."

"No?" He smoothed my wild hair away from my face and kissed me softly. "Everything OK?" I didn't answer straight away. He sat bolt upright, emanating concern. "Bella. Bella love, what's wrong?"

I sighed, climbed over him and retrieved the ring box from the drawer.

"I found it when I borrowed this." I told him, indicating the t-shirt I was wearing. He swallowed hard.

"Oh." He took the box from my hand, opened it and started at it a moment before sitting it on his chest. The jewels glimmered and shimmered in the hazy light from the bedside lamp.

I clambered into his lap and rested against his raised knees so that we were facing each other.

"They are beautiful, Baby." The corner of his mouth lifted a little.

"Yeah? You like them?" I nodded and picked up his hand to play with his fingers. "But something's not sitting right with you. I can tell."

"Edward, I know we've talked about our future together, about getting married and buying houses and having kids, but I guess I thought that it was a little way off. Seeing the rings just brought it out of the future and into the here and now." I explained. "I mean, these are bespoke rings aren't they? Made for us? This tells me that marriage has been on your mind for a while."

"It has." He confessed. "I commissioned them just after your birthday, from the jeweller who made my parents' rings. Mum and Dad collected them for me."

"When were you planning to...um...ask?"

"I didn't have an exact plan really. I was just going to go on instinct, you know? I didn't want to plan it too much because I figured you would hate a big, fancy, staged proposal. But I wanted to have the ring there ready for when it felt right to ask."

I sighed in relief.

"So you weren't proposing tomorrow at Christmas dinner?"

"God no!" He exclaimed. "Bella, my darling, gorgeous love, when I propose, I want it to be just us, wherever and whenever that may be." He leaned forward and cupped my face with both of his hands. The ring box snapped shut and fell onto the bed. "Just you and I, my love." He whispered. "You and I."

"Perfect." I whispered back. He kissed my lips with his soft lips. I tilted my head and brought my hand into his hair and licked my tongue against his. He moaned slightly and took our kiss even deeper, so deep that after a minute or two we had to come up for air.

"Bella, I have been happier in the past eight months than I have ever been in my whole life. I want forever and more with you. I know time-wise we've not been together that long, but we're so right together and we've loved each other for so many years..."

"I agree, Baby. I totally agree. I love you so much and the best part is, I_ feel_ how much you love me. And when you feel the time is right, when it's just us, I promise I _will_ say yes."

"You will?" He smiled so widely he almost looked like the Cheshire Cat. I nodded, and a happy tear found its way out of my eye and onto my cheek.

"I will."

"What if I asked now?"

My breath caught. My heart skipped a beat and my tooth sank into my bottom lip as anticipation fluttered around my tummy.

"Are you actually asking now?" He looked straight into my eyes but didn't say or do anything else. "Edward?"

He picked up the velvet box, opened it again, pulled out the engagement ring and put it on his little finger before picking up my hand.

"Isabella Marie Swan, my beautiful, gorgeous, darling Bella. There are no words to describe how much I am in love with you. You _are_ my heart, you _are _my soul and you _are_ my reason for living. Your presence makes me soar, makes me the best man I can be. If you'll let me, I promise I will spend the rest of my days trying to make you happy. Please will you do me the most extraordinary honour of agreeing to be my wife?"

My tears were running freely now.

"Yes. One hundred million percent yes!"

Edward pulled me into his arms and kissed me even more passionately than before. We were both laughing and when we broke apart, I realised that both of us were crying too. He brought his hand to his mouth and kissed the ring on his little finger before sliding it off and placing it on my left ring finger. It glided onto my finger and anchored itself there as if it had always belonged there. As if it was home.

"Perfect fit!" My fiancé exclaimed.

"Yes, Edward. You are."

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**AN: I nearly cried writing the proposal! I hope you liked it. If you did (or if you didn't) please let me know with a little review. They really make my day!**

**Italian translations:**

"_Signor Volturi ti vedo ora, Edward." (_Mr Volturi will see you now, Edward.)

"_Anche tu, Isabella."_ (You too, Isabella.)

"_Anche me?"_ (Me as well?)

_Zia/Zio (_Aunt/Uncle)

"_...il mio Mamma.." _(My Mum)

"..._il mio Papa..." _(My Dad)

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	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Hello! I hope you've all been having a great weekend! Olympic fever continues to sweep the UK and I was lucky enough to be able to go to the Olympic Park this week. It was AMAZING! **

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and to all of you who have added me to favourites and to your follow lists. I'm really happy that you're liking the story. **

**I'm also posting a chapter of 'High Stays the Tide' the EPOV companion piece tonight. If you haven't already, please check it out!**

**On with the show!**

**I don't own any of the original characters from Twilight. I own this story and two Olympic ticket stubs! **

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**Chapter 20**

Edward caused quite a stir when he first arrived at VDI Leeds. He was the source of all gossip for weeks. I felt a smug satisfaction as, from a distance, I watched almost every single female colleague in the building try to flirt with him only to be rebuffed. _Sorry ladies, he's mine. Forever. _We worked in different departments and if we had time during the work-day to have lunch together, we tended to go off-site into Leeds City Centre rather than eat in the break-rooms, so nobody but Siobhan and Liam were immediately aware of our relationship.

It wasn't something we intended to keep secret and knew that eventually our relationship would become common knowledge. However, I smiled to myself whenever I remembered how it actually happened, just last week.

"Hey Bella! How are you finding life back in Leeds?" Kim, one of the senior administrators asked me as I came into the break-room for coffee.

"Good thanks." I replied politely.

"If it were me I don't think I'd have come back from Rome!" Katie, another administrator, and Kim's partner-in-crime, piped up. "It seems so glamorous out there."

"I loved it out there but I missed England." I told them both. Kim and Katie could be nice girls when they wanted but were superficial; the two of them together were quite the pair of gossipy bitches.

"Right..." they didn't appear to understand. "Anyway...Kim's about to do something crazy!" Katie added.

"Oh yeah?" I looked at Kim who was bouncing up and down in her seat, giddy with anticipation over something.

"Yeah! I'm going to ask that new Exec out!" When I didn't immediately reply, she added, "You've probably met him, Edward Cullen? The one setting up the new law school? So fucking hot!"

"Err...sure."

"Well, we had a 'moment' last week when I bumped into him coming out of the lift and split a bit of the tomato juice I was carrying on his shirt." _A 'moment', you call it? Edward came home complaining about 'some dozy girl' who ruined his favourite shirt and made him smell like a Bloody Mary all day._ "Since then he's been giving me these looks."

"Oh. Well. Good luck with that." I responded nonchalantly.

"Speak of the devil..." Katie whispered under her breath as Edward walked in.

"Good morning Ladies." He said politely, smirking slightly when he saw me.

Kim glanced at Katie before swallowing hard, putting on what she thought was a sexy face and walking the few steps over to him.

"Hey Edward. How are you?"

"Good thanks." Edward went back to stirring his coffee.

"I was wondering if you had plans for tonight? Um, I thought we could go for a drink, maybe?"

Edward glanced at Katie who was sat on the edge of her seat, and me who was trying not to burst into peals of laughter. He couldn't help but break into his crooked grin.

"That's very nice of you but the thing is, I was planning to ask someone else that very same question..."

"Oh?" She immediately glared at Katie before realising that Edward's gaze was focussed on me. He walked over to stand in front of me, a devilish glint in his eye. _Oh Goody! I love naughty Edward._

"Bella, do you have plans tonight?" I glanced at Kim and Katie who looked confused.

"What did you have in mind, Edward?"

"Drink?"

"What about dinner?" Kim and Katie now looked pissed off.

"That could work. Or we could have sex?" He put his hand on my waist.

"I like that idea. Maybe we could become a couple? Exclusive." I threw one arm around his neck and tangled my hand into the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Perhaps live together?" He linked his free hand with mine.

"Maybe look at buying a house?"

"Sure. Actually, what if I asked you to marry me?"

"Well actually, Baby, you already did that!"

"So I did, Gorgeous. So I did. And if I remember correctly, you said yes!" He leant down to kiss me briefly. He then offered me his arm to escort me out of the break-room. "Bye ladies!" He called over his shoulder.

"Bye!" I echoed, glancing over my shoulder to catch their shocked faces.

Of course, the news spread like wildfire after that and by the end of the day, I was equally hated and revered for being the future Mrs Cullen.

"What are you smiling about?" Edward asked as I handed him my necklace.

"Nothing. Just a happy memory."

"Have I told you yet that you look absolutely ravishing tonight? Especially when you smile like that!" He said as he placed the jewellery around my neck and did the clasp up.

"Only a handful of times!" I joked back. I looked at his face in the mirror and he grinned back at me before kissing the nape of my neck.

We were in London for the weekend, staying at The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, where Rosalie and Emmett were having their engagement party tonight. They had become engaged over Christmas like us but they were planning to wait for Emmett to become a fully qualified trauma and orthopaedic surgeon before getting married, which was over two years away. Therefore they had decided to have a big engagement party.

Edward and I, on the other hand, had decided not to make our engagement common knowledge to our wider circle of friends straight away. Indeed, we hadn't even really announced our relationship. Our families knew, as did our very closest friends, (and now our colleagues in Leeds), but we had asked them not to say anything until we did. We had decided that the time had come and were attending the party tonight as a couple. We were forgoing a big announcement, Instead we had decided that I would wear my ring on my left ring finger and that we would quietly answer questions as they came up. We had run it past Rosalie and Emmett first, as we didn't want to steal their limelight, and they were fine with it.

It was the end of April. Edward and I had been in Leeds for four months, and even happier than we had been in Rome, except that we missed Peter, Charlotte and Gianna. Thankfully Charlotte was doing very well in her pregnancy, the sickness and lethargy suddenly disappearing in the New Year. She was now twenty-eight weeks pregnant with a baby boy. Gianna's Italian had improved exponentially and she now frequently switched from English to Italian and back again in a single conversation. Peter had been promoted further at the airline, and with his bonus they were looking to buy a house a little further out of the centre of Rome where they could have more space.

We were living in my house just north of central Leeds but were looking for a bigger house that was further out of town, one where we could raise a family, but that was still within 45 minutes' drive from VDI Leeds in the city centre. We both seemed to be thriving there. I had my own case load but instead of having to travel all the time, I could now send associates in my place for most of the grunt work, which meant that I had more of a routine, and most importantly, more time with Edward.

Edward was working very hard to set up the VDI law school. He now had a project team, recruiting from within VDI but also externally, having set up strong links with the Law department at the University of Leeds with some assistance from Ben, who knew several members of the Law Faculty. Edward had worked hard to set up a curriculum and had recruited IT specialists to help with the setting up of online resources. He was also overseeing the conversion of the floor of empty offices that had been earmarked for the school's use. Siobhan was supporting him throughout the process and had been very impressed with his dedication and attention to details.

There was a knock on our door.

"That'll be my parents." Edward dropped another kiss on my shoulder before getting up to answer the door.

"Hi Mum, hi Dad!"

"Hello Son!" They both greeted us with hugs. "Hello Bella! You look beautiful tonight." Carlisle commented.

"Absolutely stunning." Esme agreed, causing me to blush a little.

"Doesn't she?" Edward beamed at me and held out his hand which I took. "Midnight blue is my favourite colour on you."

I was wearing one of my favourite evening dresses, a midnight blue one with spaghetti straps, in which Edward particularly loved to see me. It highlighted perfectly my engagement ring, the bangle that Edward had bought me for my 30th birthday, the matching necklace he insisted I have for Valentine's Day and the subtle seed pearl and sapphire earrings he had bought me for our one-year anniversary, which had been two weeks ago . Edward was looking particularly handsome in his simple tuxedo, which he had complemented with a midnight-blue bow-tie and cummerbund, chosen to coordinate with my outfit.

"Thank you Handsome. Shall we?"

We made our way to the party, which was being held in one of the decadently furnished hotel function rooms. Emmett and Rosalie were lingering by the entrance to greet guests. We were quite early as there were only a handful of people in the room so far.

"Aunt Es! Uncle Carl!" Emmett bounded towards Esme and Carlisle and engulfed them in a big hug. Esme and Carlisle were very close friends with Emmett's parents and Edward had often commented that the Cullens considered the McCarty clan family.

"Emmett Dale McCarty! Look at you! All grown up and getting married!" Esme exclaimed, returning his hug enthusiastically. "Well, your fiancée must be a formidable woman to take you on!"

"That she is!" Emmett held out his hand for Rosalie who came over. She looked resplendent in a gold floor-length strapless evening dress with ruby beading over the bust and hem. "Rosalie, meet Edward's parents, Esme and Carlisle Cullen."

Rosalie greeted them warmly and introduced her mother Lillian, who seemed rather overwhelmed by the event. She was tall and fair like her daughter but where Rosalie had lush curves and held herself with grace and poise, her mother was thin, her face tired and her posture stooped from years of working too hard and worrying too much. Esme being ever the natural hostess and nurturer, quickly made Lillian feel at ease, and within minutes had thrust a champagne glass into her hand and was chatting to her as if they were old friends.

Carlisle and Edward had fallen into conversation with Emmett's parents, Chris and Peggy, whilst I found myself chatting to Rosalie and some of my old colleagues from VDI's London City Office. Rosalie exuded happiness and serenity. She had a plan for her life and had worked damn hard for it, but that plan had never included a husband because she'd never felt able to allow anyone close enough to get to know the real her, until Emmett came along. She had confided in me in Rome that for the first time in her life she was allowing herself to think about the possibility of having children one day, something that she'd always secretly wanted but again, had never thought would happen for her.

Just as Rosalie and I were planning for her and Emmett to come to Leeds for a weekend, I was tapped on the shoulder.

"Hi Bella! God, long time no see!" Kate greeted me, kissing me on the cheek. Garrett loomed behind her.

"Yes, Miss Jetsetter! Good to have you back in the country!" He said enthusiastically.

"Garrett was saying that you got promoted again. Well done!" Kate added.

"Hi, great to see you both!" I replied, although inside I wasn't so sure. I couldn't help but remember that if it wasn't for Kate's tendency to gossip without knowing the full facts, Edward and I might have gotten together long ago. "Yes, I was acting Executive in Hong Kong and similar in Rome, but now I'm in a permanent Executive position in the Industry division." I decided to divert the conversation from me. "So what about you? How's your little one? Carson?" I enquired, hoping I got the name right.

"It's _Carter_." Kate replied, a little icily. "And he's just darling! He's sixteen months now. Walking and talking! He's with my parents tonight."

"Congratulations. You seem like a very happy Mummy."

"That I am, Bella! Oh, and so is Jess! Did you hear, she and Mike had little Anna three months ago." I had heard, and was very happy for them. Jessica and I had actually arranged to meet for coffee in the morning, and I had been planning to tell her about my engagement to Edward.

"Yes, I sent them a card and a present..."

"Well, Anna's inherited Jess's button nose, but she's still almost completely bald, and keeps getting spots of baby eczema. Luckily Carter never had that problem." It seemed that even when it came to babies, Kate was more than capable of gossip. She continued to talk about their son and family life, and I could barely get a word in edge-wise. Kate had refused to return to her job as a barrister with the Crown Prosecution Service, whilst Garrett was working very long hours having just been promoted to senior associate in VDI's London Tax division, and the strain on him was evident, to me at least. Rosalie had moved on to greet some more guests so it was just the three of us.

After around 15 minutes, I decided to extricate myself from the conversation as Kate and Garrett were starting to bicker and I had just spotted Alice and Jasper arriving. I drained my drink and put my glass on the bar.

"Well, it's been so good to catch up with you guys, but I ought to..."

"OH MY GOD!" Kate suddenly exclaimed. I followed her gaze to my engagement ring. "Bella, you're engaged?"

I felt my face go hot as she stared at my hand.

"Um, yes."

"Congratulations, Bella. Who's the lucky chap? Is he here?" Garrett asked warmly. Before I could reply, Edward was by my side.

"Hey guys!" He and Garrett man-hugged and he kissed Kate on the cheek. "It's been ages! How are..."

"Edward, did you know Bella's engaged?" Kate interrupted, turning back to me. "Wow! I mean, where did you even meet him? 'Cause weren't you single when you left for Hong Kong? Is that where you met him, or was it Rome? Bit of a whirlwind romance, eh?"

"Kate, if you let her actually speak, I'm sure Bella will tell you." Garrett piped up, annoyance marring his usually-relaxed features. He looked over Edward, who was running his hand up and down my back, knowing that I was feeling stressed, and me. Garrett's face changed as he took this in, to a look of understanding.

"Well, Kate," Edward began, and I was very happy to let him take the lead on this conversation, "I did know Bella was engaged, as it happens..." He picked up my left hand and rubbed his thumb over the ring he had designed for me."...seeing as it was me who asked if she would be my wife."

Kate's jaw dropped in surprise.

"You proposed to Bella?" Edward nodded. "When?"

"Christmas."

"How long have you even been together?"

"We had our one-year anniversary a couple of weeks ago." Edward said.

"Have you set a date?"

"Not yet. We're going to buy a house and get a bit settled in before we make wedding plans." I replied.

"Well, you certainly kept that quiet! I mean, I knew you were both in Rome at the same time and that you had both moved to Leeds but I didn't realise you were _together_."

Edward shrugged.

"We didn't feel the need for a big announcement." He replied, before leaning in to kiss my cheek lightly.

"What about Jessica?" she asked, an accusatory tone in her voice.

"What about her?" I replied.

"Don't you think she's going to be pissed when she finds out that her supposedly-good friend is marrying her ex?"

"Kate!" Garrett said in a chastising tone.

"I don't know. I'll find out tomorrow. We're having coffee and I was planning to tell her then." I was actually very nervous about telling Jessica. Kate was not helping.

"Kate, Jess and I broke up years ago. She's married and has a kid with another guy. Bella and I are in love and very happy. I would hope that Jess would be pleased for us, but if she's not, we'll deal with it." Edward added.

"You should have told her!" Kate's eyes were blazing. I couldn't understand why she was so angry. "You should have checked that Jess was OK with you dating her ex!"

"Why?" I asked back, angry myself. "It's none of her business! She dumped Edward over four years ago! Tomorrow will be the first time I've even seen her since her wedding eighteen months ago, and it's not like she, or you for that matter, made a huge effort to keep in touch whilst we were out of the country! Perhaps if you'd bothered to send a text or email or Facebook message, or reply to one of mine, it might not have been such a surprise!" Tears were pricking against the back of my eyes. I never could understand why I could hold my nerve in the boardroom but could get so derailed and misty-eyed when I got angry in my personal life.

"It's OK, Gorgeous. You don't have to explain anything. We haven't done anything wrong." Edward pressed his lips to my temple and held me against him. He knew instinctively what I needed, and I felt calmer and stronger in his arms.

We turned back to Kate and Garrett. Kate had taken a step back, clearly taken aback at my little rant, and had hung her head a little.

"Look Edward, Bella, I'm really happy for you both. You look so content. I'm glad you found one another." Garrett said genially. "I spot Tyler and Lauren over there. Come on Kate." He grabbed his wife's hand and pulled her away.

Edward encircled his arms around me and just held me for a few moments until I calmed down.

"Bella, my love, it's OK." He whispered into my hair. "I know you were dreading that very thing happening."

"I was but I am sorry. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that."

"Well if you hadn't, I probably would have done." Edward replied. "I heard her exclaim 'Oh My God' from across the room and thought you might need the support."

"I really did! Thank you Baby." I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him soundly, right there in the middle of the room, ignoring the whistles and hollers of Emmett, Rosalie and others.

Edward barely left my side for the rest of the evening, and the party went by without any more drama. A few more people picked up that we were together and engaged, and offered congratulations, but for the most part, the party was a beautiful and luxurious celebration of Rosalie and Emmett's happiness.

Alice and Jasper were on particularly great form. My godson Jackson Brandon Whitlock had been born seven weeks earlier and this was their first weekend away as a family. So that they could enjoy the party without worrying about the baby, they had treated Jasper's parents to a weekend in London, in exchange for babysitting duties for the night. Jackson was utterly adorable. He had huge blue eyes, tufts of blond hair all over his quite large head and was very wriggly, almost hyperactive, like his mother. Alice was still on maternity leave but was going back in three months. Her mother and Jasper's mother were helping out with childcare but Alice had also installed a crèche in her office and hired a nursery nurse for days when the grandparents couldn't help out and Jasper was away for a story.

Just as we were leaving the party at the end of the night, Kate stopped us.

"Look, Bella, Edward, I'm sorry about earlier. It just caught me by surprise, is all."

"We've been friends for nearly nine years, Kate. I would have hoped you'd be happy for us." Edward replied. "We're in love and we want a life together."

"I see that and I am happy for you." She said but she didn't quite meet my eyes.

"Thanks." I added. She half-smiled and started to walk away when I thought of something. "Kate, did you tell Jessica about our news?"

"I just said that you had big news to tell her at coffee, but it's not my news to tell." She replied sheepishly. _Hmm, never stopped you gossiping before. _"Well, I better find Garrett. Bye."

"Bye."

Despite her apology, something about Kate's reaction to our news really didn't sit well and the whole thing left me feeling unsettled. Edward led me to bed and as if he knew that I needed soothing and sating, made love to me slowly and languidly against the crisp, cool hotel sheets. There wasn't a single inch of my skin that wasn't caressed by his hands and kissed by his lips. When he entered me, our eyes locked and stayed that way as he moved in and out, eventually bringing me to the most delectable slow-burn orgasm possibly ever. By the time he was done with me, I could barely remember that the rest of the world existed apart from the two of us.

By the time coffee with Jessica came around, at noon the next day, I was feeling stronger and more confident about telling her about my engagement. The worst thing that could happen was her getting really angry and I dealt with angry clients all the time. I could handle an angry Jessica Stanley-Newton. As Edward had said to Kate and Garrett the previous night, we had done nothing wrong. After breakfast, Edward and his parents had gone to the nearby Wellcome Library, which housed a massive collection of manuscripts, artefacts and pictures about the history of medicine. Jess and I were meeting in one of the coffee shops on the concourse at St Pancras Station, next to the hotel.

"Oh my God, Bella! I'm so sorry I'm late!" Jess cried as she wielded a pushchair and several shopping bags. "I forgot there are so many shops in St Pancras! We got here early and I got totally carried away!"

"Cool, what did you get?" I asked her as she slid into the seat opposite me. Jessica pulled out several little dresses and toys.

"Aren't they so cute?" Actually they were. Jess always did have great taste.

"Yup! Mike's gonna kill me though! Our house is already full of baby-crap!" She laughed. Jess looked radiant. Motherhood appeared to suit her. She picked up her baby girl and cradled her in her arms, her expression full of love. "Bella, meet Anna!"

I reached over and stroked the top of baby Anna's head. She wasn't bald, as Kate had said, but had a very fine dusting of almost white-blonde hair over her head. She did have a couple of spots of eczema but she was still a very cute little baby girl.

"She's just darling, Jess. Congratulations."

We chatted for a bit about Jess's pregnancy, Anna's birth and being a mother. Jess was lucky that her firm, who specialised in employment law, was a very parent-friendly one, and that both sets of grandparents lived nearby and were willing to help with childcare. Jess intended to return to work when Anna was six months old, part-time, and go full-time when Anna was two.

"So, I got a strange text from Kate last night saying that you had big news. What's up?"

I inhaled deeply. _Here we go._

"Well, yeah, I do..." I began hesitantly. "I'm, um...I'm engaged."

"Oh My God! Really? Congratulations!" She bounced out of her seat to hug me. "I didn't even know you were with anyone! Who's the lucky guy? Have you set a date? What's the ring like?"

She was so happy for me that my nerves about telling her just who I was marrying stepped up a gear. I placed my left hand on the table.

"Well, we've been together a year, and we haven't set a date yet. The thing is, Jess, the guy is...um..."

"Edward." She said suddenly, in a much quieter voice than before. She had picked up my hand to look at the ring more closely. "You're marrying Edward, aren't you?"

"Yes. How did you know?" I replied, taken aback at her question.

"The ring. The way the diamonds are set around the infinity shape that encircles the stones are the hallmark of the Meyer Brothers who work out of Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. They're super-exclusive jewellery designers. The only other people I know with Meyer Brothers' rings are Carlisle and Esme Cullen, and it's very similar to Esme's engagement ring." She was right. Esme's gold engagement ring featured two large diamonds also set within an infinity shape. I'd forgotten Jessica's penchant for random fashion knowledge. _Who knew that my ring would give away the identity of my future husband? _

"Um, how does that sit with you?" I asked, my stomach churning.

"Bella, Edward and I broke up years ago. We weren't right for each other. Our relationship crumbled the moment we started living together, and I always had this feeling that I was second-best, that he only started going out with me because he couldn't have the girl he really wanted." _Um, yeah, apparently that girl was me._

I opened my mouth to respond but she kept talking.

"I'm happily married to Mike, and we're so in love with each other and our baby girl. If you and Edward are in love and can live with each other and want to get married, then go for it!"

"Wow, I wasn't expecting you to be so positive about it!" I exclaimed. "I was convinced you would be mad as hell with me."

"I think that if you and Edward had got together a few months after we split up I would have been, especially as we were flatmates for a while. But it's been years. I won't deny that I'm surprised but I know I've been bad at keeping in touch, and perhaps you'd have told me earlier if I had been better at replying to your emails and stuff. But it doesn't matter. You and Edward have far more in common than he and I ever did and you're much better suited intellectually."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm naturally competitive and I used to try to compete with Edward all the time over law school stuff. I just used to get so mad every time he came back with a better grade or talked about a topic above my level. Really, the only person able to match his academic ability was you. When the two of you debated and argued, it was phenomenal."

"Thank you. I never saw it like that."

"How did you guys end up together anyway?" She asked. "Wasn't he engaged to that Heidi girl at one point?"

"Well, yeah. He and Heidi weren't getting on very well, and he was really stressed because he was unhappy at work. I'd had feelings for him for a while, and to cut a long story short, ended up telling him during a weekend in Paris for our friend Rosalie's birthday. He freaked out and disappeared off the radar for a few months, taking a sabbatical and going to Malawi with Esme and Carlisle. When he returned he came out to see me in Hong Kong and told me he had dumped Heidi and that he had wanted me for a long time, despite Heidi. He moved in with me two weeks later and we got engaged at Christmas just before leaving Rome for Leeds."

"Wow. That's so Edward to freak out when faced with the thing he wants the most. It's like he doesn't ever believe he's entitled to something unless he's made himself suffer first." Jess totally hit the nail on the head.

My phone beeped with a text then.

_Hey Gorgeous, we're on the way back to hotel. You OK? Nearly done? Love you, E xxx_

"Is that him?" Jessica asked as I smiled.

"Yeah. He and his parents are on the way back from The Wellcome Library."

"Tell him to come over. It's been years since I saw him. I'd like him to know as well that I'm really happy for both of you."

"OK." I texted him and he replied quickly that he was 5 minutes away. "He's on the way."

"Great." She smiled genially. "Bella, what was Kate like last night? You seemed so worried about my reaction."

"Let's just say that Kate was very surprised and at one point rather confrontational about it."

"She and Garrett are having some problems and she's been all kinds of bitchy recently. To be honest, I've been keeping a bit of distance lately because she's been such a cow."

"Yeah, they didn't seem that happy last night."

"No. They've been fighting about money and the fact that Kate doesn't want to go back to work."

"Which surprises me. She always seemed so driven."

"She doesn't want to be a barrister. She really dislikes criminal law. She applied for City of London Law School's corporate law stream but didn't get in. They offered her the bar course as an alternative and she took it. I think that as she sees Garrett, Edward and you progress up the ranks at VDI, it gets to her more and more." _Wow, I never knew that._

"Couldn't she put up with it for a couple of years until Garrett makes executive and then reapply to do corporate qualifications?"

"That's what he's asked but she's not at all open to discussions about it." Jess replied. She then looked beyond me and started waving. I turned round to see my handsome fiancé striding across the concourse towards us, causing the heads of packs of teenage Spanish girls and middle-aged day-trippers to turn, entranced.

"Hello." He kissed Jessica's cheek very briefly before plopping down into the chair next to me. He proceeded to kiss me properly before holding my hand. "How are you Jess?"

"Good thanks. Congratulations on your engagement. I was just telling Bella how well-suited you two are."

"Well, I think so." He smiled down at me. "Bella was really worried about telling you. Thank you for being so gracious about it."

"Yeah, sorry Kate gave you an earful, especially mistakenly on my behalf, but I'm really pleased for you."

Anna started fussing in Jessica's arms.

"She OK?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah, it's nappy change time, and then she'll want milk and a sleep. I should probably get going."

"It was really good to see you, albeit briefly. Motherhood really seems to suit you." Edward commented.

"Good to see you too. Now make sure you keep me updated about wedding plans and stuff! I promise I'll be better at replying!"

We said our goodbyes, and then Edward and I headed back to the hotel hand in hand.

"You OK, my love?"

"Yeah. It feels a bit surreal that Jess took the news so well and Kate took it so badly."

"Something's not right there. I didn't really get a chance to chat to Garrett. I've got to give him a call sometime soon."

"Jess said they've been having problems. Kate's not happy about work and Garrett's stressed because she's unhappy and about money worries." I told him.

"I'll call him tomorrow." Edward said. "Bella, love?"

"Yes, Baby?"

"That won't happen to us, will it, Gorgeous? The bickering and arguing and letting our problems fester?"

"No, Handsome. We won't let it." I told him. "We won't let it."

-cc-

**Kate. Is she a complete bitch or misunderstood? Hmmm...**

**If you feel like leaving a review, please, please do. You'd make my day. Thank you!**


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: Hello all, hope you're having a good week. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed after the last chapter- you guys are great and I owe you a reply! Thanks too to everyone who's added this story to favourites and follow lists. **

**I don't own Twilight or its original characters. I'm just borrowing them from Stephenie to give them some drama and hot sex for a while. **

**-cc-**

**Chapter 21**

After Emmett and Rosalie's engagement party, Edward and I were busy at work and busy at home as well. By mid-May we had found a beautiful house that we both loved, and were in the process of buying it. It was in the North Leeds district of Horsforth, near the airport and a local train station. However it was quiet and secluded, surrounded by mature gardens, and backed onto stunning countryside; from the back of house there were views of the sweeping hills and valleys of Yorkshire to be seen.

The house itself was huge. It was a Victorian property, made of dark grey Yorkshire stone, and retained the original features of high ceilings, ornate cornices and magnificent fireplaces. However it had a large contemporary kitchen and four contemporary bathrooms, five large bedrooms, two lounges, two studies, a games room, a wine cellar and a huge conservatory that wrapped around the whole of the back of the house. We had fallen in love with it instantly; it seemed like the perfect house in which to raise a family. We would never have found a house like this in London, and if we had, we would never have been able to afford it.

An added bonus was that Alice and Jasper lived on the same street whilst Ben and Angela lived less than a mile away. Seth and Embry were also looking to buy a larger house in the area as well, to accommodate their growing menagerie of pets, including Brady, a 9 month-old Irish Wolfhound, the biggest dog I'd ever seen (and he wasn't even fully grown yet).

I continued to enjoy my position as executive in the Industry division at VDI Leeds. I was currently supervising three large deals, including the representation of one of the biggest food packaging firms in Northern Europe through a merger with another packaging company based in Germany. Edward was also doing well setting up the law school. The school had now been advertised nationally and there was huge interest. He had set up open days at the school and booked stands at university career fairs to try to seek out and meet good candidates. He was also due to present the law school project at the VDI partners' meeting in a couple of weeks' time.

I was in my office towards the end of a Thursday afternoon in late May, finishing up some paperwork whilst waiting for Edward to finish his weekly progress email to Aro, when my office phone rang.

"Hello, Bella Swan speaking."

"_Hi Bella. I've got Paul Wilson on the phone. He sounds a bit stressed."_ My assistant, Nettie, told me.

"Fine. Put him through."

"_Hi Bella, is this a bad time?" _Nettie was right. Paul did sound stressed. He was one of the junior associates with the Industry Division and was working on the packaging deal. He was currently in Bristol at the headquarters of the company doing some research and putting forward some of our initial strategies for securing the deal.

"No, it's OK. What's happening?"

"_We have a bit of a problem." _

Paul went onto explain that he had been looking into the finances of one part of the company and found some major discrepancies between the declared profits and the balance sheets. If this didn't get sorted out quickly, the whole deal could fall through. Paul had sensibly phoned me before informing the clients of what he had found.

"Paul, I'm going to be on the first train from Leeds to Bristol in the morning along with our accounts expert and we're going to look into this."

"_OK. What do I say to the clients?"_

"Absolutely nothing. Close down and secure everything now and go back to your hotel. Don't tell them about what you've found and don't tell them that I'm coming. In the morning, just get your head down and when I turn up, look surprised."

"_But if they ask what I'm doing..."_

"Repeat our initial strategies and tell them you're brainstorming ways to expand them. Your silence over what you've found is in their best interests until we've sorted out what's going on. If they find out that we suspect a problem in what's supposed to be a straightforward industrial merger, they will panic and one or all of them will end up jeopardising the whole deal."

"_OK. Thank you Bella."_

I ended the phone call and asked my assistant to book me a train ticket to Bristol whilst I called Jason Jenks, our independent accountancy expert. He wasn't technically employed by VDI so could claim impartiality, but in reality, the Industry Division was virtually his only client. He happened to be in Birmingham and he agreed to catch my train when it passed through the city so that I could brief him fully on the way down.

As I put the phone down on him, Edward walked into my office.

"Everything OK Gorgeous?" I shook my head, got up from my chair and moved into his arms. "What's up?"

I explained the problem and that I would have to be on a 6am train to Bristol in the morning.

"I'm sorry Handsome. I'm not going to get home until really late tomorrow so I'll miss our night out." We had formed a routine of going out for on Friday nights, just the two of us, for a 'date night.' Sometimes it was to a restaurant for a meal but other times it was the cinema or bowling or to see a play. We both loved them because we would tease and flirt with each other, and by the time we came home we were so horny that it led to desperate and very heated sexy time. I was particularly annoyed about tomorrow night. Edward had managed to get us reservations at a brand new and exclusive restaurant, Slade's, which was getting rave reviews.

"No problem my love. The restaurant's not going anywhere. We can go another time." He looked as disappointed as I felt but he still beamed at me and held me tighter.

"Have I told you how much I love you today, Edward Anthony Cullen?"

"Yes but when we get home, you could show me..." He kissed me ardently.

So I showed him. Twice.

Far too early the next morning, I left my warm, sleeping, naked Edward in bed and made my way to Bristol to find out what was happening with the packaging company's accounts. I had informed Siobhan of what was happening and she told me to keep her posted. If the deal really was in jeopardy she would drive over from Bath, thirty minutes away, where she and Liam were spending a long weekend in a spa hotel. I really hoped that I didn't have to interrupt their time off.

At Birmingham New Street, Jenks joined me and I updated him with the information that Paul had given me over the phone including photographs of the documents he had emailed me overnight. Jenks didn't say but I could see from the look on his face that what he saw was concerning him. He pulled out his laptop and started typing and clicking.

"Bella, if these discrepancies are indicative of a larger problem, it will only be a matter of time before the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission realise, and they will shut the deal down." _Great. Government involvement could tarnish VDI's reputation and cost the Industry Division our seven million pounds fee. Shit._

"So what do you suggest?"

"Well, let's do the initial review, and if there does seem to be grounds for concern, then I would suggest my team move in to do a major audit of the accounts, as soon as possible. I'm emailing them now to put them on standby."

I groaned internally. If we needed to do an audit, the progress of the deal would have to be halted and we would have to inform the board of directors of the company. It was going to be a long day.

We were at Bristol Temple Meads Station by 9.45am and by 10.15am we were striding into the lobby of the company. Paul managed to look surprised like I asked. I pretended that we were there to assess his work and to see how the initial strategy planning was going. As soon as we were alone with the accounts however, Jenks, Paul and I got to work.

After only thirty minutes, it was clear that Jenks was correct to be so concerned. The profit that the company declared in the boardroom seemed massively inflated compared to what was on the books. I called Siobhan and Liam who authorised Jenks to instigate the audit on the phone whilst they were getting in the car.

As soon as they arrived we asked to meet with the board and explained what we had to do and why. They were livid but as soon as we explained that if we didn't sort out the mess as soon as possible, the government would step in they backed down and reluctantly gave us access. Jenks's team arrived after lunch and immediately got to work on the accounts whilst Siobhan, Liam, Paul and I started our research into the impact of revising the declared profit on the likelihood of the deal going through and tried to answer the questions of the very worried board of directors.

By 5pm I was absolutely wrecked with exhaustion as were the rest of the team. Siobhan, Liam and I had done all we could. We needed the outcome of the audit to do any more. Therefore we left Paul behind to liaise with Jenks and his team over the weekend. I was going back to Leeds for the weekend and would return on Monday whilst Siobhan and Liam were going back to their hotel.

I got back to Bristol Temple Meads Station at 5.35pm to find that I had just missed a train to Leeds. I groaned in frustration. _I should be leaving my office in Leeds and getting ready to go out with my handsome, gentle fiancé about now, not sitting in a busy dirty train station 200 miles away with the best part of an hour to kill._

I bought a newspaper, a chocolate-glazed donut and a large coffee and managed to find an empty table in the coffee shop. I had just turned over the front page of the paper when I heard a throat clear behind me.

"Bella?"

I turned round to see Jacob standing there, dressed impeccably in a suit, carrying a briefcase.

"Jacob!" I stood up to greet him. I hadn't seen him since the day he walked out of our flat and out on me, five years ago. Since then we had been in touch on Facebook and by email, and the air had been cleared, but it was still strange to see him. We hugged, somewhat awkwardly.

"What brings you to Bristol?" He asked. He was holding a cup of coffee too so I gestured for him to sit down.

"I came to troubleshoot some problems with a deal that we're helping to put together. The clients are based nearby." I replied. "What about you?" He held up a document wallet from a dentists' conference.

"I've been in Bristol all week." Jake said. "It's been useful, learning about up-to-the-minute technologies and research in restorative dentistry. It's still my area of special interest."

"So things worked out for you at your uncle's practice?"

"Yeah. I took over as partner last year when he retired and I'm chairman of the Cardiff branch of the British Dental Association."

"Congratulations!" I told him, genuinely. "I'm really pleased for you."

"Thanks." He replied a little sheepishly. I had to admit, he looked good. He had filled out some more and had a touch of grey at his temples, which suited him. However I didn't feel a single grain of attraction for him.

I noticed that he was playing with a ring on his finger. His wedding ring. The last time we had been in touch he had started going out with a local girl who he had once dated in high school, but that was a couple of years ago. Leah, I think her name was.

"Congratulations. When did you get married?"

"Leah and I got married last year. It's our one year wedding anniversary next week in fact." He noticed my ring. "Looks like congratulations are in order for you too."

"Yeah, we got engaged at Christmas."

"I didn't realise you were with anyone, actually. I hadn't heard anything from any of our London gang."

"To be honest, now that I live in Leeds, and have been working internationally as well, I've not really kept much in touch with any of them, and decided that I didn't want to put my relationship status on Facebook anymore."

"I know what you mean. Leah and I decided the same and asked our wedding guests not to put post pictures either. It felt too public, too intrusive." He agreed. "So who's the lucky guy?"

"Um, actually, it's Edward."

"Edward?" He didn't seem to remember at first but then I saw the light bulb go on. "Edward Cullen?"

"Yeah. It's a long story but we've been together over a year and lived together for most of it, and when he proposed it felt completely right."

Jake was silent for a moment.

"He was the one, wasn't he?" Jake eventually said in a quiet voice. "The one who you always really wanted, but couldn't have at the time? I always thought you two would have made far more sense than him and Jessica or you and me."

All I could do was nod.

"I'm sorry Jake." I replied. "I got together with you after I found out that he was going out with Jess, and it turned out that he had only got together with Jess because he'd heard, wrongly, that you and I were already an item. I did love you at the time, just not in the right way."

"It's OK Bella. When I returned home to Cardiff when my father was ill, I bumped into Leah and realised that I had done something similar, that I had pursued you so much to try to get over her. Now we're both with the people we should be with. You and Edward are getting married, Leah and I _are_ married, and we're going to be parents."

"Brilliant. When?"

"September. I'm scared shitless though." He confessed.

"Why?"

"In some ways I don't feel ready. In some ways I don't feel like I've got enough wisdom or life experience to be raising another human being. This little defenceless baby is going to be completely reliant on me and Leah keeping it alive. That's big."

"Jake, I think every new parent feels that way. I know that when it's my turn with Edward, we'll feel the same. But think of the joy of holding your son or daughter for the first time, of seeing them grow, of seeing them make their way in the world."

"Yeah, I am thrilled about it. I just can't quite believe I'm such a grown up. Partner in a dental practice, husband, soon-to-be father. I'm a homeowner. I have a pension fund. I've just bought a people-carrier! It just seems like yesterday that we were partying until 3am and then hanging out in bagel shops in Brick Lane until dawn!"

"I know what you mean. Edward and I are in the process of buying a big family home and it felt so weird when we were talking about which room would make the best nursery!"

"_The next train to depart from Platform Six is the 18.10 Great Western Train Service to Cardiff Central, calling at Lawrence Hill, Patchway, Severn Tunnel Junction, Newport South Wales and Cardiff Central."_

"Oh, that's my train." Jake got up, drained the last of his coffee and picked up his briefcase.

"It was great to catch up. If you're ever in Leeds, look us up."

"Likewise if you're ever in Cardiff." I stood up too and he kissed my cheek. "Bye Bella."

After he left I finished my own coffee and made my way to the platform for my own train, which thankfully arrived on time. I was also thankful for my First Class seat as the standard class carriages were very full but First class was quiet and peaceful.

I got a taxi from the station home and I was so pleased to see Edward that the moment the front door shut behind me I pulled him towards me by the collar of his polo shirt and kissed him with everything I had. His woodsy, spicy scent mixed with a hint of Scotch on his tongue had me swooning in his arms.

"Oof, Bella love, what was that for?"

"I missed you. This day has been way too long and way way too eventful."

"What happened?"

"Can I tell you after I've freshened up?"

"OK love. I've put a bottle of wine in the fridge, all ready for you."

"Thank you Baby." I kissed him once more.

I quickly checked my email on my phone before heading to the bathroom, whilst Edward poured the wine and made us a late-night snack of toasted cheese sandwiches. Not glamorous but exactly what I needed.

Fifteen minutes later, I felt much better and padded out to the kitchen in a pair of jersey black and white spotted sleep shorts and a black camisole. I was expecting to be greeted by a kiss, a glass of wine and a plate of sandwiches, but what I got was Edward stood in the middle of the kitchen, looking seriously pissed off. He was actually trembling and his fists were clenched. I hadn't seen him so angry since that time in Macau when the drunken businessman propositioned me.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I rushed over to him.

"Care to tell me," he began through gritted teeth, "why Jacob Black is sending you messages on Facebook saying how great it was to see you again?"

He indicated my iPhone, which had displayed on the lock screen a Facebook message alert, indeed from Jacob.

"I bumped into him at the train station in Bristol. He was on his way back to Cardiff after a conference. We chatted for a while until he went to catch his train." Edward didn't relax. "That's all Edward."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He exclaimed. "WHY?" I was taken aback by his anger. He rarely got angry but when he did it was explosive; this was the first time it had ever been directed at me.

"I've literally just got back! And I told you that I was going to tell you about my day after I'd changed!" I yelled back.

"It should have been pretty much the first thing you told me! It's not hard Bella. 'Hey Edward, I've had a bad day. And by the way, I bumped into my ex.' See, not hard!"

I couldn't understand why my fiancé was being so unreasonable. We were supposed to trust each other, and right now it felt like Edward doubted me, after we had been through so much to be together.

"I don't understand why you're making such a big deal about this! If you had let me, I would have told you exactly how we bumped into each other and what was said and how I felt afterwards!"

"So tell me now!"

"No! You're obviously not in the mood to listen, only to be a complete wanker!"

I was exhausted after my long, stressful day and on the verge of tears. I grabbed the glass of wine, the plate holding my as-yet-untoasted cheese sandwich and my iPhone and left.

"BELLA!" He called after me.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I shouted before retreating to my study and bursting into tears.

After my tears subsided, I gulped at the wine and managed to eat half my cheese sandwich before reading the message Jacob had sent me in full.

_Hi Bella_

_It was great to see you again today. I was so pleased to hear that you're doing well in the job you always wanted. It was also great to hear that you are as happy with Edward as I am with Leah. Looks like we both fell on our feet in the love department. Good luck in the future. I meant it when I said to look us up if you're ever in Wales, and we'll do the same if we're ever in Yorkshire. Jake x_

Edward had only seen the first line of the message on the lock screen. I wondered whether he would have reacted the same if had read the whole thing.

I sighed to myself before deciding to go find him. If he was amenable to talking about his over-reaction then so was I but if not, then for the first time in well over a year, I would be sleeping apart from him. I didn't have to go far. I opened the door to see that Edward was sat outside the door to my study, his legs crossed, and his head in his hands.

"Hey." I whispered. He looked up. His face was blotchy and his expression pained.

"Hey." His voice was hoarse and croaky. He got up onto his knees and I got down to his level. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry, Bella. You were right. I was being a wanker. A complete dickhead." Edward started to pull me towards him but I resisted.

"Yes, you were." I told him. "Why? I don't understand why you got so mad and yelled at me like that. You don't trust me?"

"Of course I do!"

"It didn't seem that way."

"I just...I don't know...it's..." He let go of my hand and ran it into his hair. "I missed you so much all day. When I woke up this morning you'd already gone. Every time I walked past your office, seeing it empty made my heart sink, more so than when you've been on trips before. I hardly heard from you during the day and even though I knew you were busy it really got to me. So when your phone lit up with the message from Jake I got so angry that he had gotten to spend time with you today and I hadn't. I felt really jealous and when you came in I just couldn't control my temper." He explained.

"You really hurt me. I told you that it had been an eventful day, and I fully intended to tell you everything, including bumping into Jake, once I'd cleaned up and had some food and some wine. It also probably didn't help that you only saw the first line of the message on my lock screen and not the rest of it where he said that it was great to hear that you and I were as happy as he was with his wife."

"So he wasn't hitting on you?" Edward asked in a small voice.

"No. He's very happily married and his wife is pregnant."

"Oh. God, So I'm officially a wanker?" Edward hit himself on the forehead.

"Yes but I love you all the same."

"I'm so sorry." He took my hands again. "Please forgive me. I went crazy. I always feel like I don't deserve you and I was so worried that you would see that and that he might want you back and...Bella, please forgive me. You have to know I love you more than life itself."

"I do know and I forgive you, Baby." I told him. "Just don't do it again."

"I won't. I won't!" He let go of my hands and cupped my face before kissing me softly. "I love you so much, Bella. So much. I promise that I'll listen before yelling next time I'm confused about something. And I promise that I'll make it up to you."

"Yeah? How?" I asked, drifting my hand down his torso and playing with the hem of his polo shirt, brushing the skin of his tummy with my thumb. He shuddered slightly. "You'll need to make some serious effort, you know."

"Oh I know. I intend to spend the whole weekend making it up to you, starting right now!"

He kissed me once more, gently massaging my tongue with his whilst letting go of my face and pulling me to my feet as he got up too. He lifted me up and I enveloped him with my legs. As he carried me into the bedroom, I pulled off my camisole. He kissed down my neck and licked along my collar bones. To my surprise, he didn't set me down on the bed, but instead held me against him whilst he swept his arm along the dressing table, knocking over my hairbrush, his aftershave, my face cream and several other inconsequential items.

He put me down in the middle of the table, kicked the dressing stool out the way and knelt down in front of me.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry." He kissed my ankles and slowly kissed his way up my legs until he was kissing and stroking the sensitive skin between my thighs over and over again.

"Edward!" I gasped as his fingers crept up higher, gently probing my slit through my shorts.

He then kissed where his fingers had been whilst reaching up to pull down the obstructing item of clothing. I lifted my bottom so that he could pull them out of the way. I was now sat completely naked in front of him. He resumed exploring my most sensitive spots with his fingers and his mouth until he was soon flicking my clitoris and fucking me with his tongue alternately.

I was writhing against him, gripping the side of the dressing table with my left hand and anchoring my other in his hair. I was pulling hard but he didn't seem to mind. His left hand was holding my leg over his shoulder whilst his right was covering my left. It didn't take long at all for my frenzy to peak. I came loudly, suddenly and very hard, my back arching so much that my head hit the mirror behind me.

"So beautiful. You're so goddamned beautiful all the time, but even more so when you come, my darling." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before standing up to kiss me. I could still smell my juices all over his hands and face, and that turned me on no end.

"That was fantastic Handsome." I panted, still breathless from such a mind-blowing orgasm.

"Oh, I'm not done yet." He whipped off his polo shirt to reveal his lean upper body, and then pulled down and kicked off his boxers and jeans. He was absolutely rock hard. He left me on the dressing table, a throbbing, horny mess, and went to sit on the bed. He moved right into the middle and crossed his legs before beckoning me over.

I got up, a little unsteadily, moved to the bed and crawled over to him slowly.

"What's the plan, Baby?"

"How would you feel about coming to sit right here on my lap?" He indicated to his lap and his member, which was right there and ready to impale me.

"I like that idea." I climbed on him and sank myself down onto his dick, before wrapping my legs around him. He hissed with pleasure as he entered me and he caressed my lips with his, and his hands grasped my bottom. He moved me up and down slowly whilst his lips travelled down my neck and surrounded each of my nipples in turn.

Neither of us said anything through our lovemaking although the air was punctuated with the odd moan and groan. We gradually moved faster and faster, and I placed my arms around his neck so that I could look into his eyes whilst he fucked me. He hadn't yet touched my clit whilst inside me but he didn't need to- I was close regardless. _Why don't we do this position more often? It's amazing!_

"Close Gorgeous?" He asked, as if he read my mind. I merely nodded. "Me too." He squeezed my ass and that was enough for me. I panted and moaned and groaned and cried as my release came forth, and buried my face into the side of his neck to ride it out. Edward followed, coming hard inside me, heating me from within with his seed.

He shifted us to the edge of the bed and uncurled his legs beneath me. He then stood up and carried me to the bathroom where he turned on the shower, took me under the warm spray and washed every inch of me gently.

He was quiet and contemplative. I suspected that the loathing he would direct towards himself about our argument would be long-lasting despite any reassurance I gave him that I forgave him and that he had more than redeemed himself.

-cc-

**AN: Thanks again for reading. Please consider leaving me a review. **


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: Hi everyone! How are you all? Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed the last chapter. And hello to everyone who's added me to follows/favourites. **

**I'm away next weekend at a wedding so might not get to post. Therefore I'm posting two chapters today, and two chapters of the companion piece 'High Stays the Tide, which features a special guest POV in Chapter 18 which might give some valuable insight into Edward.**

**Speaking of Edward, he's taking the floor for this chapter.**

**I don't own Twilight. I wish I did! **

**-cc-**

**Chapter 22**

**EPOV**

"Edward, you're going to do brilliantly. Please stop pacing, Baby. I'm getting dizzy watching you." Bella tells me as I try to work off the nerves I'm feeling over my impending presentation at the VDI partners' meeting tomorrow afternoon in London. I feel bad. She has unpacked four boxes in the past half an hour and I have done nothing but stress out.

"Sorry my love." I pick up an unopened box of kitchen things and open it but my thoughts drift to a worst-case scenario where I get ripped to shreds by all the bigwigs and I stop what I'm doing.

"Right, that's it." Bella grabs my hand and leads me to our currently-empty new living room.

We completed the purchase of our new house in Horsforth last week and moved all our things over the weekend. It is currently chaos but it's _our_ chaos. Bella has left behind all her furniture in her old house because she wants to rent it out as a furnished property. We have ordered new pieces for our new home, none of which have arrived yet.

She lies me down on my front on a pile of throw cushions on the floor and straddles me over my ass. She lifts my t-shirt over my head and runs her hands up and down my back slowly. _Oh yes! Massage time!_ Bella is supremely good at this. Her mother, who teaches beauty therapy at a college in Southampton, has taught her well.

"You need to relax, Handsome. I want you to repeat after me..." she says as she starts applying light pressure to my shoulders, "...'I'm going to ace it tomorrow.'"

"Bella...!" I whine. What if I don't ace it?

"Edward!" she shouts back, sharply. "Say it!" I am not going to win here.

"Mmm...OK...I'm going to ace it tomorrow." I mumble.

"Again, with meaning!" She pushes more firmly on the muscles between my shoulder blades, releasing some knots. I feel something pop. My muscles loosen instantly sending relaxing warmth right through my upper body and suddenly I do feel better.

"I'm going to ace it tomorrow!" I yell. "I'm going to ace the presentation and blow their socks off!"

"That's the spirit Baby!"

Bella continues to massage my back until I am jelly under her hands. She then turns me over and proceeds to give me the most mind-blowing blow-job ever. By the time we go to sleep I am feeling utterly relaxed, far better about the presentation, and more confident. I am constantly in awe of my fiancée; she is incredibly positive, warm and motivating. I love her beyond all time or distance or matter, and still feel bad that a couple of weeks ago, I made her doubt that. She insists that I am forgiven but I still can't believe my own stupidity.

For quite a while, I couldn't explain why I got so angry that night when I saw that message from Jacob on her phone. I realise now that it came down to me reverting to a toddler. I thought that another kid was trying to take my most beloved Bella blankie and I had an epic tantrum. One that I took out on my beloved. And if I was scared before, now I'm petrified that she will leave me one day despite the fact that I know and I feel that she has completely forgiven me.

I am aware that these thoughts are ridiculous and I wish they would leave so I can enjoy the life that I am building with my future wife, yet they keep haunting me.

-cc-

The next morning, Bella drives us into Central Leeds and parks at the underground car park above which sit the VDI offices and the new law school. She then walks the 250 yards with me into the train station.

"Edward, I'm so proud of you Handsome. In nine months you've taken a little idea and made it into a big reality." She tells me as we are standing to one side of the electronic ticket barriers. I pull her into my arms.

"I'd never have been inspired without you, and I'd never have believed I could do it without you in my corner. So thank you, my darling."

She throws her arms around my neck and kisses me with all her might. There are a few snickers and a couple of whistles from passers-by but I don't care. I kiss her back just as strongly.

"I love you." She whispers as her forehead presses against mine.

"I love you too, future Mrs Cullen." I whisper back before saying, "I know you're going to be in and out of meetings all day with Jenks and the rest of your team so I'll text you instead of calling, OK?" She and the Industry Division are still trying to salvage the packaging companies' merger. Their clients haven't made it easy but Bella believes she is making some headway.

"OK, Baby." With one final kiss she lets me go to catch my train to London.

I arrive at Kings' Cross Station at 11.30am and make my way across to the London City office near Liverpool Street. It takes forty-five minutes and I can't help but be thankful that I don't have to travel across this vast metropolis every day, not anymore. Instead my commute is less than 30 minutes past fields and dry stone walls, and at least one day a week, we get to work from home.

I'm not due to present until 1.30pm but I'm meeting Garrett for lunch first. We've chatted on the phone a couple of times since Emmett and Rosalie's engagement party, and he's not very happy. He and Kate are going through a rough patch. They broke up several times throughout law school but their periods apart were usually only a matter of days and then they made up, passionately.

Garrett meets me outside the VDI offices and we duck into a nearby Lebanese cafe for lunch.

"Thanks for this Edward."

"No problem, Garrett. It's been ages since we caught up."

Garrett looks tired. His eyes are slightly bloodshot, he has a couple of days' stubble and his dark blond hair looks lank in its short ponytail. He clearly has not been sleeping properly for a while.

"How's Bella?"

"She's great. Amazing as always. She's been working on this big European merger of two packaging companies. It's proving difficult because the company she's representing overvalued their profits during initial negotiations but she thinks she's making progress slowly."

"I heard about that deal on the VDI-vine! Bella always was the bright spark in our class, as well as you."

"I don't know about me, but definitely her." I reply. I decide to change the subject. "We've just moved house actually. We've bought a bigger house just out of town with a garden and plenty of room for kids in the future. All very grown up."

"What's it like?"

I describe it for him and his mouth drops open when I confess that our five-bedroom mansion with acres of garden and surrounded by the lush Yorkshire countryside cost the same as their small three-bedroom terraced house in Balham, in South London.

"Wow. Just wow."

"What can I say? The money goes a lot further in Yorkshire." Garrett looks tense and troubled. His jaw is set.

"If I tell you something, promise not to tell anyone else?"

"Of course."

"Last year, I worked on a tax case for one of Liam Ireland's clients in Russia. Well, last month, he offered me an executive post in Leeds- specifically handling tax law for Industry clients Europe-wide. To start next January."

"Gar, that's fantastic! It'll..."

"I've turned it down." He states, interrupting my enthusiastic congratulations.

"What, why? Liam would be fantastic to work for. More space, more money, your own office, plethora of company benefits? I don't get it."

"Kate doesn't want to leave London." Garrett replies quietly. "Her family live less than an hour away in Hertfordshire and she doesn't want to leave her friends behind. She's just very London-biased."

"What are the chances of Eleazar Denali promoting you to executive here?" Eleazar Denali was a very well established tax lawyer and coordinated most of VDI's tax law cases in Europe. He was married to Carmen Denali, who specialised in corporate litigation and arbitration, and who was Bella's former boss.

"Mmm, not sure. He's a great boss and very encouraging, but he has several executives working for him already. He's fair but he values experience and he's very hierarchical. He promotes people when he feels they've earned their dues. There are senior associates ahead of me who he would probably promote first. In contrast, Liam and Siobhan Ireland tend to promote based on merit, talent and skills, rather than experience. Bella's a good example of that."

"Yes, she is." I agree, smiling as I think about her.

"God, you're completely whipped, aren't you?" He chuckles, his blue-grey eyes twinkling a little. "Head over heels in love."

"Totally man, and I'm not afraid to say it." I reply. He grins at me, but then his face falls again.

"Kate and I used to be like that but it just seems to be unravelling. The lifestyle we've built for ourselves is based on both of us working full-time. Now I'm working all the hours I can, pushing myself to take as much work on as possible to accrue bonuses, and Kate is complaining of how we never have any family time. Whenever I point out that I'm working so hard because she's not earning, she shouts that I have no idea how hard being a mother is. I don't dispute that, not at all. Carter's been keeping her busy as he's got a cough that he doesn't seem to be able to shake- we've got a hospital appointment for him today in fact. But she doesn't appreciate the financial strain our lifestyle causes."

"Does she have any intention of ever returning to work? Like, when Carter goes to school?"

"No, not at all. She wants to be a full-time mother. She's decided that she hates criminal law and when I suggested that she reapplied for a corporate law course, which is what she really wanted instead of criminal law, she said that it was too late."

"Too late?"

"She says that she'd never be able to be a good mother to Carter and go through the course followed by the 80-hour weeks that we did as trainees and junior associates. She does have a point about that. We can't live a two-salary lifestyle on one salary, however, and she wants a bigger house, more kids and for me to only work 9 to 5. We can't have all of that if we live within 50 miles of Central London."

"But you could if you took the job Liam's offering, you could have all of that! Kate's not prepared to compromise at all?" Garrett shakes his head.

"I'm sorry Garrett." I reply, not sure what else to say. He shrugs.

"It's OK. I'm sorry too. I still love her and God, I love my son more than life itself. We're in this bad place right now, but I'm praying that we're going to get through it. I don't know what I'm going to do if we can't." He finishes his coffee and glances at his watch. "Edward, it's after 1pm, we should get going."

We get up, pay the waiter and head back to VDI. Garrett and I say goodbye in the lobby, and I head up to the conference floor where the partners are having their yearly Annual General Meeting. They hold it wherever the International Law Association conference is being held, so that they have the best chance of all the partners worldwide being able to attend. Last year it was in Kuala Lumpur so they held it there, in one of the big hotels. This year the conference is in London and they have decided to hold the AGM in the London City Office.

Tanya's assistant Lucy kindly shows me into a reception area. My slides have been preloaded by the IT guy so all I have to do now is to wait. I quickly check my phone and find that Bella has texted me.

_Hey. Just a quick message to say Good Luck & that I love you so much, Baby. B xxx_

I am so caught up in thoughts of her that I don't notice Aro standing in front of me.

"Edward?" He asks after clearing his throat. "Ready?"

"Oh, I'm sorry _Signore!_ Yes, I'm ready."

I stand up and follow him through the doors to the large conference room. _Time to not fuck up Edward. Time to ace things._

The room is full. The back three rows hold the junior partners and in the front three sit the senior partners. In the front row, Aro's empty seat lies between Marcus and his younger brother Caius who works out of New York. Next to Caius is Marcus' wife Didyme, who runs the pro bono arm of VDI, working with charities and NGOs. Aro's daughter Renata who is based in Singapore, his son Santiago, who works in Dubai and Marcus's son Demetri who is Paris-based, are also in the front row. They all do mostly financial corporate law, except that Demetri has a special interest in Intellectual Property and antitrust law.

The Denalis have occupied the second row. Sasha Denali, one of the founding partners, sits on one end, next to her son Vasilii, who works out of Tokyo. His specialty is Asian Emerging Markets. Next to him are his sisters Irina, who works in New York (she specialises in high-risk mergers and investigating corporate corruption) and Tanya. Eleazar, who is Sasha's late husband's nephew, and his Spanish wife, sits between Tanya and his wife Carmen.

The Irelands are in the third row. Of course Siobhan and Liam are there. Along with Aro, Marcus and Sasha, they are the firm's founders. Next to them are Liam's sister Mary, who works in Chicago, her son Randall, an environmental law expert who works in San Francisco and her daughter Maggie, who works in Frankfurt and helps run the Industry Division. On the end are Liam's cousin Charles and his wife Makenna who work in Sydney. They do a mixture of financial corporate law, some industrial and some environmental.

It is a very intimidating audience. They aren't just the firm's senior partners. They are some of the best, most fierce corporate lawyers in the world.

I take my place to one side of the screen that shows my slides and wait for Aro to introduce me. He whistles to get everyone's attention.

"_Buon pomeriggio, tutti!_" He began. "I would like you all to welcome Edward Cullen, who will be speaking to us about The VDI Law School which is in development in Leeds. He is the first executive to be appointed in our new Academic Law Division and has worked tirelessly to bring about the project. Without further ado, I will let him fill you in on our progress."

There is a polite round of applause and Aro sits back down in his seat. I take a deep breath and prepare to begin.

Over the next hour I explain my concept for the school and how the project came together. I tell them about the new curriculum, our innovative use of social networking and online lectures, and about how we will guarantee the quality of our teaching. I explain how we recruited our tutors and lecturers, and their expertise. I tell them how I have just hired an excellent non-legal manager, Alistair Jones, to assist me in setting up and managing the school. I explain how we intend to recruit students to apply and why we decided to base the school in Leeds. All the while I am speaking, I am repeating to myself in the back of my head '_I'm going to ace this. I'm going to ace this.'_

There is another round of polite applause after my conclusion. Now will come the difficult part. The questions. As I expect, a few hands shoot up.

"Edward, I'd like to thank you for the update and to say that I am impressed by your dedication in bringing forward this idea." Didyme Volturi says. "Will you yourself be teaching?"

"I will facilitate a few teaching sessions in economics, advocacy and international law and would love to do more but for the first year or two at least, my main role will be the management, administration and development of the school." I reply.

Ideally I'd be able to teach more than manage, but Aro, Siobhan and I have agreed that I need to focus on getting the school and curriculum well-established first. I'd also like to get some higher qualifications in academic law at some point in the future.

"I think it's an interesting venture, but is City of London Law School's course really that bad?" Jane Volturi asks from the back of the room in a whiny nasal voice. "I wouldn't know, having gone to _Harvard_ myself." She adds snootily.

"City of London Law School is one of the top law schools in Europe, and VDI have had a partnership to sponsor a small group of students through their course exclusively for the past twelve years. However, there have been grumblings on the VDI-Vine for the past three years about the quality of teaching and suitability to our work environment." I explained. "I sent out a survey to VDI lawyers of all grades with Signor Volturi's permission and had a response rate of 76%. Of that cohort, 81% had concerns over quality. Of the 62 respondents that had entered VDI on a sponsorship, 49 believed that aspects of their education at City of London were lacking, particularly in preparing them for the work environment."

Jane Volturi harrumphs at my thorough answer.

Aro steps in then.

"I am afraid we are out of time. We will have a fifteen minute recess for tea for which Edward will join us, so if you have any further questions, please ask him then. Thank you Edward."

There is another round of applause and everyone starts moving out to the reception area where Lucy has set out tea, coffee, cookies and fruit platters. I manage to grab a cup of coffee. A few of the junior partners congratulate me on my work, as do most of the Irelands and Marcus's son Demetri, but nobody asks me any questions.

Just as the partners are filing back into the room and I am making steps to leave, I am tapped on the shoulder. It is Tanya Denali.

"Miss Denali. How are you?" I ask.

"I'm fine thank you." She replies. "Of course I'd be even better if you were working for me instead of Aro."

"Your department made more profit than the rest of the UK departments put together last financial year. It seems like you're doing very well without me." _Thank you Rosalie for sharing that titbit of information._

"Hmm." I can tell she's choosing to gloss over my last statement and is wondering how I know. "Are you really happy doing this law school stuff? Working your ass off in a job where you'll never earn more than basic salary? No bonuses, no travel? How are you not bored out of your skull?"

"We have a real chance to revolutionise the way law is taught. All our clients are up-to-date with modern ways of communication, modern management methods and emerging markets. But most law schools aren't. I didn't become a lawyer to make money, Miss Denali. I became a lawyer to make a difference, and I finally feel like I'm doing that. I'm passionate about this project."

She doesn't buy into what I'm saying at all.

"I think that you're settling for this because it gives you a way to stay with Bella." She sneers.

"You've got it wrong, Miss Denali. I was miserable in Finance. I was sleep-deprived and permanently stressed out. I didn't thrive on the adrenaline from a successful deal. Each one crippled me. I was talking seriously about quitting VDI altogether during my sabbatical but Bella was the one who made me hold off. Nevertheless, when Aro made me that job offer, I was on the point of sending you a resignation letter. And I'm not sure if you know but Bella delayed taking up her promotion to executive to _stay with me _in Rome."

I stare her down, in a way that is an imitation of my Bella's 'I'm not taking any shit' stare. Her eyes narrow and she is about to say something else when Lucy timidly informs her that the rest of the partners are waiting for her.

"Well, good luck." She tells me, unable to keep the insincerity out of her voice. She then turns on her heel and marches back into the conference room.

Phew. I walk out to the lifts, get in and bang my head on the wall. I hate confrontation and that encounter with Tanya Denali was definitely confrontational. I take a couple of deep breaths and I can feel my heart start to calm. _ I don't know about acing the meeting but it wasn't too bad._ I whip out my phone and am texting my Bella when the lift stops and the doors open.

"Oh My God! Edward!" _Shit. That's a very familiar voice. _

I look up and sure enough Heidi is stood in front of me. I can't help but think that it's ironic that we are meeting in a lift. The first time I contemplated asking her out after I thought Bella was going out with Jasper was after I met her in a lift.

"Err...hi."

Heidi looks different. Her hair is her natural colour, mid-brown, and is tied back in a chic twist. Her make-up is simple and she is dressed demurely in a grey knee-length smart dress and black short sleeved cardigan thing. She is wearing black high heels but they are the kind Bella and the other female lawyers wear- not too high and not too pointy. In short, she is dressed appropriately for work, not for a night out on the town which is how she used to dress.

"I didn't know you were back in London. I heard on the VDI-Vine that you were working on developing the VDI Law School in Leeds?" It surprises me that she's been keeping up with my movements.

"Yeah, I was just in town to do a presentation for the partners about the school. I'm heading back to Leeds now." I reply. "Last I heard you were in America, pursuing the modelling thing."

She looks sheepish.

"Yeah, that didn't really work out."

The lift reaches the lobby and we walk out. She glances at the Starbucks across the street.

"Edward, have you got fifteen minutes? I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me buy you a coffee. I have some things to say." _She's going to buy the coffee? That's a first._

"I don't know..."

"I understand your reticence. After all, I was a total bitch to you for most of our relationship. But please...Just fifteen minutes. I have a meeting to get to after that. It's just that I'm not going to get the chance to say these things to you otherwise."

My curiosity gets the better of me and I agree. I immediately think back to the fight Bella and I had about Jake and feel guilty all over again. Bella had to interact with her ex when she and Jake bumped into each other, but here I am going for a coffee with my ex-fiancée. Voluntarily.

Starbucks is quiet, for once.

"So what did you have to say?" I ask her while we are waiting for the drinks.

"I'll start with sorry. I am so sorry for the way I treated you. I knew after a few months, after that trip to Florida in fact, that I didn't love you and that my initial attraction to you had gone. But you were, like, my dad's idea of the perfect future son-in-law and he was so happy when he met you the first time."

"I knew deep down that I didn't love you either but I was utterly terrified of being alone. I didn't propose because I was in love but because I didn't want to lose our relationship and be lonely again." I reply.

"I know I coerced you into that with my ultimatum. It was because my father was putting on the pressure and..."

"...so you transferred it to me?" She nods. We pick up our drinks and sit down at one of the tables.

"Yeah. My dad was so mad when we broke up and I told him I was going to New York with Fred to become a model. After that he cut off my credit cards. I went to New York with just the money in my current account."

"What happened with Fred and the whole modelling thing? How did you end up back at VDI?"

She sighs.

"At first it was great. He took me to all these amazing places. He got me a portfolio of great pictures and registered me with his agency. But you were right. The competition was fierce. There were all these beautiful girls from Russia and China and South America. They were taller, younger and the fake boobs thing actually counted against me."

"If it's any consolation, I didn't want to be right about that."

"Well, you were. If I had been thinking with my brain instead of my ego, I'd have realised. But Fred swept me off my feet. He totally seduced me. I thought he loved me but when I failed to get modelling jobs, he said I had to pay for better shots and the auditions started getting sleazier and sleazier. When I started refusing he got angry and I got really frightened that he might hurt me. We started fighting as my money ran out. The next week he suggested I had sex with a photographer acquaintance to get a job."

"Heidi you didn't!"

"No! Of course not! I ran away and called my father. I didn't tell him the exact details but I told him that I was wrong and he agreed to pay for a flight home if I trained to do a sensible job on my return."

"And he agreed?"

"Yeah. I was back in London that night, after being in New York for nine months. Daddy and I spent a month arguing and making up and deciding what I should do with my future. French was my best subject at school and I wasn't too bad at drama and maths. Eventually I agreed to go back to work at VDI part-time in their press office whilst doing some courses in French and public relations."

"How's that going?" Her face lights up.

"Actually, really well. The head of the press office says she's been impressed with my talents in Public Relations and once I've finished my courses next month she's promoting me to PR officer for the Paris office. I'm going to be moving there in August."

"That's great."

We are silent for a minute as we gulp at our drinks.

"Look Edward, I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this but I have to ask. Do you think there's any chance of us getting...I don't know...reacquainted? I definitely made a mistake letting you go. I really am sorry about my behaviour before but I'm a different person these days. I understand the value of hard work and the satisfaction of having a career now. I've grown up so much over the past 18 months and..."

"No Heidi, I'm sorry." _Shit. _I need to nip this in the bud.

"But we could just start by getting to know each other again and..."

"Heidi, I'm getting married."

She stops talking and just stares.

"Wh...When? Who?"

"Um, we haven't decided a date yet, but we got engaged at Christmas in Rome. We've just bought a big family house together in Leeds." I reply, momentarily ignoring the second part of her question.

"Wow. That was quick. I mean, it's not even two years since we broke up."

"She's the one, Heidi. I'm head over heels in love and for some reason she loves me the same. She gets me, makes me whole."

"You didn't tell me who. What's her name?"

"Um, it's Bella." I reply quietly.

"Bella? As in your old friend Bella? Bella Swan?"

"Yes. We've been together around 14 months."

To my surprise her eyes fill up with tears. In two-and-a-half years together I never once saw Heidi cry.

"Bella. Of course." She looks up and a couple of tears spill down her face. "That makes sense."

"Heidi?"

"Did you know that Tanya Denali always used to say that she was glad Bella wasn't in her division because she didn't want to get shown up by her in the boardroom every day?" _Bloody Tanya Denali again. "_I used to hate being around her in the office because despite the fact that she never used to bother with make-up or sexy clothes, you and all the other guys paid no attention to anyone else if she was in the room. And the worst part of it is that she's so fucking nice! How does a girl compete with that?" _You can't. Simple as._

She sobs quietly and I hesitantly put my arm around her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Heidi. But you're only 25. You've turned things around for yourself. You'll find your perfect guy in time. You know deep down that we just aren't compatible. Bella and I- we're a perfect fit. She's the one for me."

She leans into me briefly and then we separate. I don't mean anything by it other than comfort. I have absolutely no lingering feelings for her.

"Thank you." She looks at her watch. "I'd better go. I'm going to be late for my meeting."

We both get up.

"Good luck Heidi."

"Same to you Edward. And to Bella. You're lucky to have each other."

"Thanks."

With one final glance my way Heidi walks out of Starbucks. I sit back down for a moment. Today has been very surreal. I am tempted not to tell Bella about any of this but she would spot that I was hiding something straight away. Not to mention that to withhold it would make me a hypocrite after the way I reacted when I found out she'd bumped into Jake.

I quickly text her.

'Hello, my darling. Met Garrett for lunch. Things between him and Kate not good. Presentation went OK. Tanya Denali was quite scathing afterwards though. Then I bumped into Heidi, back from America & working at VDI again. We had coffee. Will tell all when I'm home. E xxx'

She texts back straight away.

'_I'm glad you did well, Baby. Sorry you had a run-in with Tanya. Intrigued about Heidi. Will admit I'm jealous. Hope she didn't try anything. You're MY man now! Love you! B xxx'_

I laugh out loud causing the barista to glance my way. I smile at her as I walk out of Starbucks and make my way back to Kings Cross to catch my train back to Leeds and my love. Despite the fact that I will be interrogated to within an inch of my life when I get home, there's nowhere else I'd rather be. With Bella and a nice glass of Scotch whisky.

-cc-

**AN: I hope you liked this EPOV chapter. Please let me know what you think with a little review, if the mood takes you. **

**-cc-**


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: And Bella's back for this chapter. **

**There's quite a bit of drama going on in this chapter, and it marks the start of a couple of angsty ones. I just want to remind everyone that I am a Happily Ever After kind of girl but the course of true love never runs smooth...**

**I don't own Twilight. It's probably a good thing given my dirty mind.**

**Enjoy!**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 23**

It was proving to be a stressful day. Edward was in London, presenting the progress of the VDI Law School project to the partners, and I was distracted wondering how he was getting on. I kept checking my phone all afternoon, desperate to hear from him. He had been so tense last night that I had had to pull out the big guns to relax him. Back massages and blow jobs.

I had met with Jenks, who had continued to work on the mess that was my clients' accounts since our first trip to Bristol. He revealed a few days ago that there were pockets of false reporting amongst accurate accounts. Certain people in the company had gone to great lengths to keep the Chief Financial Officer from finding out about the discrepancies, and he hadn't spotted them before collating the accounts and reporting a false profit. This news made the deal much more salvageable because it meant that he, the CEO and the board of directors were not involved in the fraud.

We were making good headway in finding out who was responsible for the deception and at today's meeting, Jenks was able to show me some patterns in the false reporting. All I had to do now was to find out the how and the why, and continue to analyse the impact of revising the expected profit on the likelihood of the deal going through. Given the fact that the deal was worth so much money, I felt justified in paying for outside help with the risk assessments and analyses. Siobhan and Liam raised their eyebrows but I had faith in my hired gun. Alice.

Alice's skills as an actuary were phenomenal. Her predictive abilities were second to none, and as it was her bread and butter, she was far more efficient at the analyses than I could ever have been. Despite still being technically on maternity leave, she came in to meet with Jenks and me. They did not get on and the meeting involved a lot of shouting. Still, bringing Alice in helped me to change my perspective slightly. We had been thinking that certain people within the company were reporting false profits to make the merger more attractive. But what if they were doing it as sabotage, thinking (correctly as it happened) that the mistake would be picked up and the deal would be seen as too risky, or stopped from proceeding by the government? After much debate with Jenks and Alice, I decided to investigate the latter idea. Jenks wasn't convinced but agreed. I prayed I was right. I hadn't failed to close a deal in five years at VDI. I didn't intend to start now.

After the meeting ended, Jenks went on his way and Alice went to collect Jackson from her mother's. Jasper was in Canada, writing an article for the Sunday Times and its travel magazine. I decided that I needed my favourite hazelnut latte before getting back to work. I was in the Starbucks just across from the VDI Leeds office (every single VDI office I had worked in had a Starbucks next door or across the street- I wondered if that was deliberate) when my phone beeped with a text.

'_Hello, my darling. Met Garrett for lunch. Things between him and Kate not good. Presentation went OK. Tanya Denali was quite scathing afterwards though. Then I bumped into Heidi, back from America & working at VDI again. We had coffee. Will tell all when I'm home. E xxx'_

Heidi? He had coffee with Heidi? I felt a surge of jealousy shoot through me. _That bitch better not be making a move on MY fiancée! _I quickly texted him back.

'I'm glad you did well, Baby. Sorry you had a run-in with Tanya. Intrigued about Heidi. Will admit I'm jealous. Hope she didn't try anything. You're MY man now! Love you! B xxx'

I couldn't help but question why Edward had gone for coffee with his ex. I felt rather annoyed at the fact that he had got mad when I bumped into Jake, yet he _chose_ to go for coffee with her. I was grateful that he told me, because as irked as I was now, I'd have been madder than hell if he'd not told me until her got back to Leeds after the song and dance he made a few weeks ago about me not telling him straight away about bumping into Jake.

It niggled me for the rest of the afternoon but I did manage to get some work done. By the time the work-day was over and I was walking towards the station to meet Edward, I was calmer. My jealousy had dissipated, and my annoyance was minimal. He might have had coffee with his ex, but he was coming home to me. I was the one he had bought the bespoke rings for. I was the one he bought a house with. I was the one he had planned a life with.

Edward stepped off the train amidst the crowds of commuters and his eyes found mine straight away. His expression was mixed. I could tell he was happy to see me but at the same time wary. _So he should be. _Once he was through the automatic ticket gates, he swept me up into a hug.

"Bella! I'm so happy to be home with you."

"I've been worried about you all day, Baby. Come, let's go home and talk." He glanced over at me and nodded before kissing my temple. He knew that I wanted to talk about Heidi without me having to say.

We walked out of the station holding hands, and made idle chit chat about what to have for dinner on the way home. Over a dinner of Spanish omelette and salad, Edward told me about how the presentation had gone and a little about lunch with Garrett. He told me that he and Kate were in a major rough patch but confessed that Garrett had asked him to keep some details confidential.

After we had done the washing up, Edward headed into the living room whilst I dug out a tub of cookie dough ice cream from the back of the freezer, and two spoons.

"Time to talk about Heidi, then?" Edward remarked as I came back into our new living room, gulping at the last of the Scotch he had poured whilst I was in the kitchen. I nodded. He took them from me and pulled me down to the pile of cushions that was currently our only furniture.

"Yes."

He pulled off the lid to the ice-cream tub and dug in a spoon before handing it to me so I could do the same.

"I bumped into her in the lift after the presentation. She left that Fred guy in America when he tried to make her sleep with a photographer. She's working at VDI part-time in the press office and doing courses in public relations and French. She's got rid of the make-up, the skyscraper heels, the party clothes. It was weird seeing her dressed like a businesswoman."

"Is she single?" I asked as I passed the tub back to him.

"Yes."

"Did she...does she...um..." Damn why was it so hard to ask?

"She asked if we could get to know each other again, yes." Edward answered my unsaid question.

"And you said...?"

"No!" He exclaimed. "I made it very clear that I love you and that we're getting married, that I am happier than I've ever been!" He passed me the tub but I didn't want any more ice cream.

"Really?" I asked.

"Of course! How could you doubt that, Bella, my darling?"

"Well, you chose to have coffee with your ex-fiancée, Edward. That doesn't really make me feel very secure!"

He was silent for a moment.

"I knew it would come back to bite me in the ass." He said quietly before looking up at me. "I knew I shouldn't have gone but I was curious. She seemed so different, Bella, and had this real seriousness about her. She asked for fifteen minutes and I just agreed."

"But you were so angry with me over Jake..."

"I know. That's why I told you straight away, so that we'd both be prepared for a conversation." He took the tub of ice cream out of my hands and pulled me into his lap. "I guess it feels like I've been a bit of a hypocrite?"

"Yes." I whispered, not meeting his eyes at first. "And I am pissed off, but as much with myself for not telling you how I felt years ago. Because then you wouldn't have an ex- fiancée at all. Heidi wouldn't be anything more to you than your ex-boss's ex-PA." I explained, suddenly able to vocalise my annoyance with myself as well as with him.

"I'm so sorry my darling. I still don't know what came over me that night, other than me behaving like a jealous toddler. You and Jake always seemed so happy when you were together and I suppose that my jealousy came out of my incredulity that he could ever be stupid enough to let you go and my anger that he hurt you so much by leaving. Because I'm never ever making that mistake. Never."

"So Heidi didn't tempt you at all?"

"Not at all, Gorgeous. She barely tempted me when I was with her, let alone now. I love you. Only ever you. You're the only one I'll ever want."

"Jake and I had been OK. If he hadn't ended it we might have plodded along for a while. But he never set me on fire the way you do. He did me a favour, _us_ a favour. If he hadn't left, I'd probably never have walked away because I had no incentive whilst you were going from one girl to the next."

"I see."

"So, bottom line is, you don't want Heidi. I don't want Jake. You love me. I love you. Correct?"

"One hundred million percent yes." He replied before kissing me. His mouth was cold and tasted of vanilla and chocolate cookie with a hint of Scotch. I took great pleasure in warming his mouth with mine.

-cc-

Two days later, I was working from home whilst waiting for various pieces of furniture to arrive. Edward was interviewing potential administrative staff for the law school at the VDI Leeds office all day so I was on my own. I was tapping away at my laptop and enjoying a mid-morning cup of tea when my phone beeped with a message. It was from Kate.

"_Hi Bella. I've agonised over whether to send this to you. But if it was me, I'd want to know that I was being cheated on. I'm so sorry. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here for you. Kate x_

Attached to the message was a photo. It was of Edward with his arm around a girl. Despite the plain hair, the unremarkable business dress and the pared-down make-up, it was clearly Heidi. They were sat close, and she was leaning into him. She was looking up at him and he was looking down with a serious look on his face. The photo had an intense feel to it. It felt intrusive to even be looking at it and yet I couldn't drag my eyes away.

My fiancé, _my _Edward. With his arm around his ex. Who looked more beautiful in her simple dress than she ever had with the designer gladrags, the highlighted hair and the ridiculous make-up. My heart burned with so many emotions. Jealousy, anger, frustration, hurt, confusion.

Why hadn't he told me about the part where he held Heidi against him? About how much more beautiful she was these days? He assured me that he saw his life with me and that he loved me, but this picture made me wonder if he had doubts. What if he hadn't pined and burned for me all those years like he said? What if, after I had confessed my feelings for him in Paris, he had just latched onto me because being with me was being easier than Heidi at that time and it addressed his pathological inability to be single?

I looked at the photo again and my eyes became misty. I was so caught up with my thoughts that I almost missed the doorbell ringing. I dried my tears quickly and went to answer the door.

After the last round of delivery men left and I was surrounded by our new furniture and what seemed like hundreds of boxes of flat-pack stuff, the tears flowed like waterfalls down my face. The boxes and the furniture, they represented my future, one I suddenly doubted because I was worried that Edward was having doubts about us.

I glanced down at my ring and twisted it around my finger. The sapphire caught the sunlight streaming in through the living room window and scattered blue jewels of light across the wall. Their prettiness distracted me for a moment and I felt the fog of confusion and despair lift slightly.

Edward was mine now. He might have proposed marriage to Heidi first, but he bought her a generic ring from Tiffany's. He got _me_ bespoke rings from the jewellery designer who made his parents' rings. He had bought a house and planned a future with me. We hadn't set a date for our wedding yet but that was a mutual decision. He was far more affectionate with me than I ever remembered him being with Heidi or Jessica. I thought back over the past fourteen months that I had spent with him by my side and of how loved and cherished I had felt. Whenever Edward looked at me now, I felt his love warm through to my soul.

One photograph, sent by Kate of all people, Kate whose misinformation had led to Edward thinking I had been with Jake when I hadn't and Kate who had been so annoyed and angry (for no obvious reason) when she found out Edward and I were together, had shaken my faith in my future husband.

Suddenly I felt awful. Why had I been so quick to mistrust Edward based on a grainy photograph sent by a so-called friend whose gossip had already caused both of us so much heartache?

I couldn't answer that question in that moment, but I did decide that something didn't feel right about the way Kate said that I'd been cheated on. I picked up the phone and looked at the photo yet again. It was clearly taken in the Starbucks across the street from VDI London City. I knew it like the back of my hand. Looking at it from a new perspective, it could just as easily have been Edward offering comfort to Heidi, and she did look tearful in the photo. And it was just an arm around her shoulder. She was the one leaning in. He was sat bolt upright.

My head was starting to throb. I fetched a glass of ice-cold water from our new fridge (one of those cool American-style ones with ice and water dispensers) and took two ibuprofen pills before lying down on our still-plastic-wrapped new leather sofa. I ended up falling asleep for an hour but when I woke up, the headache was gone.

I decided to approach my problems the way I would approach any case or deal I was working on- by looking for evidence, motives and hidden agendas. With that thought in mind, I picked up the telephone.

"_Rosalie Hale."_ I had dialled straight through to her office at VDI London City.

"Hi, it's Bella. Are you busy? Have you got some time to talk?"

"_Of course Chick! I was going to call you this evening, actually!_ _What's up?"_

I spent a few minutes updating her first about Edward's reaction to bumping into Jake and then Edward going for coffee with Heidi, and then Kate's text message.

"_Seriously? And you believe her? Kate of all people?" _Rosalie had never particularly warmed to Kate even before hearing how Kate's misinformation had delayed Edward and me getting together.

"I don't know what to believe, Rosalie. Which is why I need a favour."

"_What are you thinking?"_

"Do you think you could find out if Heidi's said anything around the office about getting back together with Edward, or any other information?"

"_I can certainly try, Bella. Although I hadn't heard that Heidi was back and it's definitely something my assistant would have told me, but I'll keep my ear to the ground."_

"Thanks. I know it's a long-shot but I'd like to have some evidence before I believe Kate."

"_What does your gut instinct tell you?"_

"When I first saw the photo, I was devastated. But thinking about it more, it didn't feel right. In the boardroom, I usually know instinctively when I'm being lied to, but it's not so clear cut when it comes to Edward. I still can't quite believe that someone like him would want someone as plain as me when he could have pretty much any girl he wanted. It's weird. When I'm with him he makes me feel beautiful and loved, but when I'm not, I constantly worry that his head is going to be turned by another woman."

"_Bella, when are you going to get over your whole 'I'm so plain' thing? Where does it even come from? You. Are. Beautiful. Possibly the most beautiful person I know, actually. And God knows Edward thinks so. It was far more obvious to me that Edward was in love with you that the other way round, even before he confessed it to Emmett."_

"Rosalie..."

"_Bella. You know me. I don't say stuff like that unless I mean it. You and Edward are perfect for each other. I think Kate's shit-stirring for some reason, so don't let her break you guys."_

"I won't. I don't want to lose him."

"_You won't Bella. That man loves you. Now, I've got to go, but I promise I'll be in touch soon after I've found out about Heidi and to discuss our trip to Leeds to see you guys OK?"_

I decided not to tell Edward about the photo until I'd heard from Rosalie, and it went without saying that I wasn't going to reply to Kate's message yet. I managed to cover up my inner disharmony by claiming I was worried about the progress of the packaging company deal. Edward was used to me being distracted when I wasn't making satisfactory headway with a case and didn't question it. In fact he even drew me a bath before bedtime to help me relax.

The following night, a Friday night, we went to Jasper and Alice's house. I wasn't really in the mood but Alice would have killed us both if we'd not turned up. Jasper was back after his three-week trip to Canada and Alice was so happy to have him back that she decided to throw a party. We had been expecting a small group of friends but Alice's little shindig had quickly turned into a big event, so Edward and I arrived to find another 80 people in the house. She had invited Rosalie and Emmett to come up from London but Emmett was working over the weekend and Rosalie had already made plans with Vera, her childhood best friend, who was visiting from Manchester.

The champagne and cocktails were in full flow. Edward got caught up in a conversation with Jasper, Ben and a few others about football in the garden over rounds of whisky and champagne cocktails and I left them to it whilst I sought out Alice, Angela, Seth or just anyone I knew. _Does Alice even know all these people?_

After 90 minutes of fruitless searching amongst the masses and making small talk with a few people who I vaguely recognised, I gave up and headed to the kitchen where the very friendly caterers let me sit at the table whilst they worked. I had been impressed with the quality of their ingredients, recipes and service, and took one of their cards to perhaps consider using them for our wedding in the future. As I watched them maniacally make up trays of canapés to circulate with a glass of champagne and a small plate of said nibbles in front of me, I checked my emails on my phone.

There was one of interest.

_From: Jason S. Jenks_

_To: Isabella Swan_

_Subject: Progress_

_Bella_

_You might have been right. Following your direction, Paul and I looked into the merger plan and the accounts of the departments whose false reporting was most prolific. All three are departments that have had relatively low productivity over the past three years and are the most likely to be cut when the companies merge. _

_We are on our way back to Leeds tonight. Let us know what you'd like to do next. We are both available over the weekend if you feel action cannot wait until Monday. _

_Jenks_

I quickly pinged back an email to ask him and Paul to meet me at 10am the next morning at the office before reaching absent-mindedly for one of the canapés and stuffing it into the back of my throat. I hadn't realised that it was a spicy Thai-marinated shrimp on a cracker however and, unprepared for the chilli, immediately started coughing and spluttering.

"Hey, hey are you OK?" One of the catering assistants asked. He was a young black guy, around age 20, slender and quite effeminate. He came over and thinking I was choking, pulled me to stand and clapped me on the back a couple of times. I shook my head and managed to croak out,

"W-water please!" He quickly fetched me a glass and noticing that I was unsteady whilst coughing, held me gently by the arm whilst I drank the cool water. After a minute I had pretty much recovered.

"Thank you. It just went down the wrong way. Sorry to disrupt your..."

"WHAT THE FUCK? GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY FIANCEE!" Edward had walked in just in time to see the assistant holding my arm. Judging by his swaying, he was really bloody drunk. The poor kid dropped my arm like a hot potato at the sight of an angry red-faced Edward. "GET OUTTA HERE BEFORE I KICK YOUR ASS!" He ran away, as did the rest of the assistants.

"Edward, what the hell? That poor boy was helping me get over a coughing fit! That's all!"

"He shouldn't have been touching you!" Edward lurched towards me. He reeked of whisky. "Nobody should be touching you except me!"

Anger surged through me. _It's OK for him to touch Heidi but not for some poor kid to hold my arm while I cough out a bit of chilli?_

Before I could say anymore, Jasper came through the door.

"Ah, I was hoping I would find you before Edward did..."

"To tell me that he's drunk and being a jack-ass?" I replied irritably. "I gathered."

"I'm not being a jack-assh!" Edward exclaimed, slurring his words. "He shouldn't..."

"Don't say another word Edward Anthony Cullen. We are going home. Right now!" I yelled back. He started to protest but I stared him down and he backed off.

"Fine."

"Thank you Jasper. Please apologise to Alice for our hasty departure, and to the caterers. They'll know why."

Edward followed me the 100 yards or so back to our house as I marched ahead, angry, hurt and humiliated. Once we were inside he then followed me into the kitchen where I poured two glasses of water for us and popped out two aspirin for him. He was going to have a monumental hangover the next morning.

"Thank you, Bella."

"How could you humiliate me like that, Edward?" I said quietly.

"I'm sorry." He replied. "But he had hish hands on you and..." Edward was really off his face. His words were getting more slurred.

"_One_ hand. One hand lightly on my elbow to help me whilst I coughed and spluttered on a bit of chilli. That's all! And if you'd bothered to look before yelling, you'd have seen that that boy was most likely gay."

"Oh."

"I don't believe you sometimes. You get so mad when anyone lays a finger on me, or when you think someone's showing me too much attention, but think it's perfectly OK to put your arms around your ex and not tell me about it!"

Edward was silent and looked puzzled for a moment, clearly struggling to think through his alcohol-induced daze.

"Wha'?"

"You never told me that you put your arm around Heidi the other day when you were talking to her, did you?"

"H-How did you know 'bout that?"

"How did I know? Here's how I fucking knew!" I pulled up the picture Kate had sent and showed him. His eyes grew wide with horror.

"Gorgeoush, ishnot what looks like! Was just tryin' a... comfort her!"

"Why didn't you tell me? You can't have one set of rules for me and one set of rules for you!"

"I...I..."

"Forget it! I'm going to bed. Don't even think of trying to sleep in the same room as me tonight!"

I stormed upstairs and slammed the bedroom door before bursting into tears. Eventually I cried myself to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up alone at 9.10am. I felt like I hadn't had any sleep at all. I just wasn't used to sleeping without Edward's arms around me anymore and had tossed and turned all night, hunting for his warmth, so my first thought on waking was of where Edward might be. I quickly showered and got dressed for my meeting with Jenks and Paul before venturing out. The door to the only one of our spare rooms with a made-up bed was shut. I was about to knock when I thought that it would be better to let Edward sleep through his hangover instead of waking him. I crept downstairs and left him a note on the fridge.

_Edward, _

_I've gone into the office for an urgent meeting. _

_Hope the hangover is not too bad. I'm still upset with you but I am sorry for yelling the way I did last night and most of all I'm sorry for keeping you out of our bedroom._

_I love you Handsome._

_Text me when you get up._

_Love, your Bella xxx _

After a quick stop at McDonalds to pick up breakfast for me, Jenks and Paul I headed into the office. Over the next four hours we put together a plan of action to further investigate the goings on at the packaging company and updated Siobhan and Liam who were in still London for the International Law Association conference. I checked my phone midway through the morning only to find that my battery had died. I put it onto charge but when it came back on, there was still no text from Edward. He must have still been asleep. I turned it back off for the rest of the meeting so that it would charge more quickly.

I got home mid-afternoon. The house was exactly as I left it that morning. The note I'd left Edward was still on the fridge door. Edward's car was in the driveway.

I took out my phone. Edward hadn't texted me either. I went upstairs. The door to the spare room was still shut. I knocked. No answer. I tentatively opened it. The bed hadn't been slept in. I went into our bedroom and it too was exactly as I'd left it that morning. Worried, I decided to call him.

After three rings I became aware of a sound from downstairs. _Edward's phone. _I followed the sound of Edward's ringtone for me to the living room, where his jacket from last night was slung across the leather sofa, with the phone in the inside pocket, along with keys and wallet.

Genuine panic rippled through me. Wherever Edward was he was in last night's clothes, without his wallet, phone or keys and had been almost the drunkest I'd ever seen him when I left him last night.

_Edward, where are you, Baby?_

I sat with my head in my hands, uncertain how to proceed, when my phone started ringing. It was from a blocked number.

"Edward?" I answered, praying it was him.

"_Bella? It's Carlisle. Are you all right?"_

"Um, hi. I'm fine. It's just...Edward's not here...he..."

"_Bella, Esme and I are with Edward." _Relief washed over me, but then confusion. Why were his parents with him? What was going on?

"Oh, thank God! Where are you?"

"_Um, we're in the hospital, here in Leeds. Edward's had an accident."_

-cc-

**AN: Sorry for the cliffie! I'm going to try to post next weekend if I'm back in time. **

**Please let me know what you think of this chapter. **


	24. Outtake: Kate

**AN: I was originally going to post this as part of 'High Stays The Tide,' the EPOV companion piece, but then decided that it was needed in the main story to answer some questions about Kate and the reasons behind her bitch-tastic behaviour. **

**Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, favourited and followed. I am way grateful!**

**I don't own Twilight. If I did...well, the possibilities are endless. **

**The Tide is High: Outtake**

**Kate**

Nine and a half years ago

Kate Daniels looked up at the large glass-fronted building in the heart of the City of London. It was a bitterly cold and grey day in January, but Kate felt like she was burning up. Her heart thumped wildly with nervousness, trepidation, anticipation; the thumping got faster as her eyes fell on the discreet plaque on the door.

_Volturi, Denali and Ireland_

_Specialists in International Corporate Law_

_London City Office_

_100 Bishops Gate_

_Visitors please report to Reception_

Through the glass Kate could see the large lobby and a couple of seating areas. She glanced at her watch. She was ninety minutes early for the interview that could potentially change her life.

If Volturi, Denali and Ireland, one of the world's biggest and most renowned international law firms, accepted her for their sponsorship program, she would be guaranteed a place at the best law school in London, and one of the best in the country, City of London Law School, in their corporate law scheme. Growing up in suburban Hertfordshire, in the shadow of vibrant, dynamic London, twenty-one year old Kate had dreamed of a glittering, glamorous career in the City for over ten years. She didn't have the best head for numbers but she was a logical thinker and she could debate any argument either way; these were skills very much suited to law, according to her careers advisor at University College London, where she was a final year student studying Political Science. Since that conversation in Kate's first semester at UCL, she had worked herself to the bone to keep her grades up in order to be considered for sponsorship.

Kate decided that she couldn't sit in the lobby for 90 minutes; she'd just work herself into a frenzy of nervous knots. She glanced up and down the street and then behind her before spotting a familiar logo.

"Thank God for world-dominating American coffee shops." Kate said to herself.

Ten minutes later, she was sat at a table in a cosy corner of the Starbucks in question, cradling a decaf mocha with whipped cream, an indulgence she would never normally allow herself, but today was special. She got out a book and managed to adequately distract herself, although the nerves were still there, thrumming away in the background.

At first, Kate didn't notice the slender and very pretty brunette girl her age, dressed in a simple navy pinstriped trouser suit and crisp white shirt, who had entered Starbucks about half an hour after her. The brunette ordered a hazelnut latte and sat at a table around the corner from Kate's, pulled out a battered copy of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and sighed loudly. It was the sigh that first caught Kate's attention. She looked up. From where she was sitting, Kate could see the girl but the girl could not see her. The brunette was smiling to herself, twirling her hair and shaking her head slightly, as if something so great had happened, it was almost beyond belief. Just as Kate was returning back to her book, the brunette's mobile phone started vibrating in her bag.

"Hi Alice...no, it's over. I'm sitting in Starbucks...well, I thought it was going disastrously at first because they were all so stony-faced, but they warmed up when I told them about my award from the International Young Enterprise Forum for that piece I wrote on the effect of political unrest in the Middle East on new business start-ups...yeah...I brought it with me...yes, they asked me about my dissertation too...I happened to have my USB stick with me...yes, I offered to show them the PowerPoint presentation, the one I did for my supervisor..."

Kate was intrigued. Could this girl have just gone through an interview with VDI? She listened with great interest, but the more she heard, the more worried she became about her own interview.

"...it went down really well! They asked me loads of questions about my research, and this old Italian guy, I think he was one of the actual Volturi brothers, asked me a question in Italian. I don't think he was expecting me to reply back in his native tongue! Thank God for Nonna Marie!" Kate could hear the smile in the girl's voice. She was speaking quietly, but Kate was close enough to hear.

"After the interview, they took me through to another room to go over my portfolio and fill out some paperwork, which was pretty boring but necessary evil...yes I got new photos done! I told you I would...but Alice, I didn't tell you the best part yet! This woman from HR walked me out and she told me, off the record, that I've got a place as long as I get the First Class Honours degree I'm predicted!"

Even Kate could hear the squeal of delight from the brunette's friend Alice down the phone.

"Bloody hell Alice, I think you just burst my eardrum...I'm so pleased...I'm going to finish my coffee and then I'm heading back to Cambridge...I'd love to meet for dinner...OK, I'll come to yours for 7...see you then. Bye!"

The brunette ended the call and turned to her book, still smiling to herself. Kate meanwhile, was desperately worried.

_I don't have an International Young Enterprise Forum Award for writing articles on the Middle East._

_I haven't got a copy of my dissertation proposal and research to show them._

_I don't speak a second language. _

_I'm only predicted to get an Upper Second Class Honours degree._

_I go to UCL, not Cambridge._

Suddenly she wished she'd never gone to Starbucks.

-cc-

Less than an hour later, Kate was sat on a sleek black leather sofa in the Human Resources department of VDI, waiting to be called for her interview. _You can do this Kate. You can do this! _She was desperately trying not to let the brunette girl's conversation throw her, but it wasn't really working. She was starting to feel sick and dizzy with nerves.

She stood up to get a glass of water from the nearby water fountain and as she turned round, her knees nearly gave way as an extraordinarily good-looking man walked in. He was tall, around 6'2" with a broad, athletic build. He had reddish-brown hair that was quite long, artfully tousled but still smart, a strong jawline and striking green eyes. He was dressed in a dark grey suit which was impeccably cut, and a dark green tie that matched his eyes.

A wave of lust hit her as his eyes met hers. He nodded in acknowledgement and gave her a polite half-smile before sitting down on the other sofa and letting out a small sigh, tinged with relief like the brunette in Starbucks. He didn't leer at her. He didn't check her out. He didn't do or say anything at all that indicated that he was even aware she was a girl, let alone an attractive one.

Kate had always been popular with boys. When she was younger, she was a tomboy, and all her friends were boys. When she developed curves and girl-orientated interests, she was never without male attention and a lot of her self-esteem was tied into receiving that attention with ease. She was tall for a girl at around 5'8" and had shoulder-length natural ash-blonde hair, which she accented with honey blonde and caramel highlights. She had a bright smile (thanks to cosmetic dentistry) and she had a lean figure that she worked hard to maintain by running every morning and eating a diet almost devoid of fat and processed carbohydrates. To not have attracted the man in front of her totally defeated her ego.

"Edward?" A tall, blonde woman, dressed in a burgundy belted designer shift dress with a coordinated business jacket, was standing in front of them_._ The bronze Adonis stood up.

"Yes." He replied, his voice smooth and low and deeply enticing.

"Please follow me to the portfolio review area." Edward didn't give Kate a second glance as he walked away.

The blonde was back a minute later.

"Kate Daniels?"

"Um, yes, that's me."

"Please follow me to the interview room."

Kate meekly followed with an impending sense of doom. Any confidence she had about getting a place on Volturi, Denali and Ireland's sponsorship programme had faded completely.

-cc-

Present Day

Kate Daniels-Granger was sitting in her usual spot at the Starbucks opposite VDI London City, waiting for Garrett, her husband, to finish work so they could go to their son Carter's hospital appointment at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. Carter had suffered from three severe chest infections in three months, and even now had a cough that he didn't seem to be able to shake. He had lost weight and Kate was terrified that something was seriously wrong. He was supposed to be her perfect little boy. What if he wasn't perfect? She knew that she would not be able to cope.

Carter had become her whole world since the moment she found out she was pregnant. Kate saw motherhood as her chance to get something right in her life. After all, being a lawyer wasn't really working out.

After her disastrous interview at Volturi, Denali and Ireland ten years earlier, Kate had failed to secure a place on their sponsorship program. The letter they sent politely stated that VDI had had several outstanding candidates apply and competition had been unprecedentedly high. Kate had anticipated it and had submitted her application to City of London Law School's corporate law scheme intending to fund her place from her savings.

She didn't get a place. They too stated that competition was very tough and that they had a more limited number of places than expected. She was wait-listed. Kate could have applied for other schools but she had her heart set on City of London Law School and Kate wasn't one of those people who changed her plans easily. When plans didn't go the way she wanted, she tended to do nothing, choosing instead to brood and sulk and then pray for a miracle.

When City of London Law School eventually offered her a place on their criminal law scheme, she accepted, knowing that in the first year of the course, all law students, regardless of specialty, studied the same material. She harboured an idea that she could switch to corporate, but when she tried, the law school told her that it wasn't possible.

Kate progressed through her criminal law course easily and sailed through her bar course just as well. She completed a pupillage and had been a qualified barrister for a year by the time Garrett graduated from the corporate law course at City of London Law School to take up his trainee's post at VDI doing tax law. She often thought it was ironic that she didn't get to work at VDI but that she married someone who did.

For the first year of Garrett's trainee contract, Kate earned more than him, and that made her feel empowered. She got to work on exciting, prominent cases with experienced senior barristers and she really enjoyed it. But soon Garrett started picking up bonuses. Kate got promoted, which should have been a step up, but the reality was that she had to take on more responsibility for very little extra money and as a still-fairly-junior barrister she got landed with boring cases, representing low-life criminals that she considered the scum and detritus of society. Meanwhile Garrett was coming home from work happy and satisfied.

She started to burn with frustration and bitterness. _I was supposed to be a glamorous, high-powered corporate lawyer. _Kate had always harboured a modicum of resentment towards Bella and Edward, remembering them from the day of her interview at VDI the moment she met them on the first day of law school; Bella was the girl who had outshined her and Edward was the guy who ignored her just before she went into the interview room, thus crushing her self-confidence, and then failed to remember her on the first day of law school. The unhappier she became at work, the more the resentment grew.

Kate had been aware of Edward's attraction and affection for Bella since early on in their law school days, since the day Edward broke up with his bitch ex-girlfriend Victoria. Bella was the first person he told about it. Utterly abhorred at the thought of Edward, Mr Perfect, getting together with Bella, Little Miss Perfect, she spun a lie on the spot to discourage him, telling him that Bella was sleeping with her flatmate (and was later delighted when that seemed to prove true). Kate positively encouraged Edward to get to know and ask out her own flatmate Jessica, knowing that Jess was crushing on him big-time.

Kate no longer wanted Edward for herself; that ship had sailed when he didn't pay her any attention that first time. She had to work hard for several months to convince smart, snarky, rangy Garrett, for whom she'd fallen truly in love, that there was more to her than her shallow gossipy persona before they finally got together. She had once kissed Edward when drunk, but it was to make Garrett, who she suspected of losing interest in her, jealous. He had been mad as hell and the make-up sex had been epic.

Kate didn't realise that Bella had feelings for Edward until several years later, after he and Jessica had broken up and Jess had taken up with Mike. It was at Edward's birthday party that she watched in horror from across the table at the ultra swanky Galvin at Windows restaurant as Bella and Edward chatted and flirted and touched each other's arms and only had eyes for each other. Bella's adoration was so clear that night that an astronaut could have seen it from space. Once they were out of the restaurant and drinking in Sloane Square, Kate texted Jessica to tell her to meet her in Sloane Square, knowing that Jessica and Mike were having dinner in nearby King's Road and hoping that seeing Jessica with Mike would derail Edward.

She was right. Edward freaked out and ran away. Not long after that, Edward started going out with Heidi. Bella ended up moving to Leeds just over a year later. Kate got to know Heidi and knew that her agenda was marriage to Edward, not because she loved him but because he would be the perfect take-home-to-Daddy husband. Kate was satisfied that those events meant that Bella and Edward getting together would never happen.

Kate hadn't known to plan for years of longing, confessions of love in Paris, letters from Malawi, emails, urgent dashes to Hong Kong and surprise proposals of marriage in Rome. So when she saw the beautiful sapphire and pearl ring sitting on Bella's left ring finger at Rosalie and Emmett's engagement party, she didn't think for one moment that it could be Edward that Bella was marrying, not even when Edward had dashed to Bella's side, wearing a cummerbund specifically chosen to match Bella's dress, not until Edward actually said the words...

"_I did know Bella was engaged, as it happens...seeing as it was me who asked if she would be my wife."_

Kate reacted badly. Edward and Bella seemed to have the lifestyle she had always dreamed of. Travel all over the world, designer clothes, a bespoke ring, stays at one of the best hotels in London. That they were now together and clearly so happy made Kate furious especially because her life was unravelling.

She and Garrett were fighting all the time because Kate couldn't bear to return to a job she loathed, and instead wanted to be a stay-at-home mother, but she also wanted the glamorous lifestyle associated with Garrett's job at VDI. Except that she was learning that Garrett's job wasn't that glamorous. Where were the networking dinners and the black tie galas? Where were the designer suits and the big bonuses? The truth was that in the current tough economic climate, big bonuses were much harder to earn, and the legal world was tightening its belt. London was getting more expensive and Garrett's high five-figure salary didn't stretch so far anymore now that Kate wasn't earning and they had a child.

Kate wanted so much. She wanted to have a large, luxurious townhouse in Barnes or Greenwich, not a three-bedroom terrace in Balham. She wanted to send their son and their future children to private schools. She wanted to have spectacular foreign holidays and be able to afford to dine in London's best, most famous restaurants. Yet she also wanted her son to have the most perfect idyllic childhood, including a father who spent time with him and nurtured him. Garrett was prioritising work over family time and Kate hated it. The only solution he had offered was to accept an Executive position in Leeds, but Kate was loathed to leave her beloved London. He might as well have suggested they move to Mars.

Kate was further annoyed about Edward and Bella's engagement when she called Jessica to find that Jessica hadn't given Bella a hard time over it; indeed she was happy for them. Jessica had also told Kate in no uncertain terms that she did not appreciate her past relationship with Edward as a reason to yell at Bella.

Kate was dwelling on the mess that was her life and her disintegrating friendship with Jessica when she heard a familiar low and smooth voice. She peered round the corner to see Edward standing waiting for his coffee next to a brunette that was most definitely not Bella. As she turned side on, she realised that it was a very conservatively dressed Heidi.

"So what did you have to say?" He asked Heidi.

"I'll start with sorry. I am so sorry for the way I treated you. I knew after a few months, after that trip to Florida in fact, that I didn't love you and that my initial attraction to you had gone. But you were, like, my dad's idea of the perfect future son-in-law and he was so happy when he met you the first time."

"I knew deep down that I didn't love you either but I was utterly terrified of being alone. I didn't propose because I was in love but because I didn't want to lose our relationship and be lonely again."

"I know I coerced you into that with my ultimatum. It was because my father was putting on the pressure and..."

"...so you transferred it to me?"

Kate watched as Edward and Heidi sat down next to each other at one of the tables. Ironically it was the same table Bella had sat at, all those years ago. They continued to chat about Heidi trying to make it as a model in New York and returning to London having failed. They talked about her future career plans. Kate was getting a bit bored with the conversation, truth be told, and was about to check her Facebook News Feed on her iPhone when Heidi started a very interesting line of conversation.

"Look Edward, I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this but I have to ask. Do you think there's any chance of us getting...I don't know...reacquainted? I definitely made a mistake letting you go. I really am sorry about my behaviour before but I'm a different person these days. I understand the value of hard work and the satisfaction of having a career now. I've grown up so much over the past 18 months and..."

"No Heidi, I'm sorry." Edward said, a bit sharply. Kate was disappointed. She was hoping that Edward would cheat on Bella or break up with her, but no, not Mr Perfect.

"But we could just start by getting to know each other again and..."

"Heidi, I'm getting married." Kate watched as Heidi's face froze.

"Wh...when? Who?"

"Um, we haven't decided a date yet, but we got engaged at Christmas in Rome. We've just bought a big family house together in Leeds."

"Wow. That was quick. I mean, it's not even two years since we broke up."

"She's the one, Heidi. I'm head over heels in love and for some reason she loves me the same. She gets me, makes me whole."

"You didn't tell me who. What's her name?"

"Um, it's Bella." Edward told her.

"Bella? As in your old friend Bella? Bella Swan?"

"Yes. We've been together around 14 months."

Heidi started to cry.

"Bella. Of course. That makes sense."

"Heidi?"

"Did you know that Tanya Denali always used to say that she was glad Bella wasn't in her division because she didn't want to get shown up by her in the boardroom every day? I used to hate being around her in the office because despite the fact that she never used to bother with make-up or sexy clothes, you and all the other guys paid no attention to anyone else if she was in the room. And the worst part of it is that she's so fucking nice! How does a girl compete with that?"

Kate watched as Edward stared at the softly sobbing Heidi unsure of what to do before uncertainly placing an arm around her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Heidi. But you're only 25. You've turned things around for yourself. You'll find your perfect guy in time. You know deep down that we just aren't compatible. Bella and I- we're a perfect fit. She's the one for me."

Kate looked at the iPhone in her hand and at Edward with his arm around Heidi. Even though Edward clearly told her that Bella was the only girl for him, it looked incriminating for him to be sitting so close to his ex. She opened the camera, turned the flash off and took a picture. In fact she took two.

The one-armed hug didn't last long and Edward was stiff throughout it.

"Thank you. I'd better go. I'm going to be late for my meeting." Heidi said and both she and Edward got up.

"Good luck Heidi."

"Same to you Edward. And to Bella. You're lucky to have each other."

"Thanks."

After they left, Kate stared at the picture for several minutes. She knew that Edward loved Bella, that he wanted to marry only Bella. However it didn't matter to Kate. The photo implied closeness between Edward and Heidi that would destroy Bella. A destroyed Bella would destroy Edward. It was vindictive but in Kate's mind they deserved it. It was their presence that fateful day nine and a half years ago that denied Kate the lifestyle she always dreamed of. It was time for payback.

-cc-

**AN: So...what do you think? **

**I've posted the next regular chapter of this story as well, so please read on! **


	25. Chapter 24

**AN: Here's the next regular chapter of 'The Tide is High.' Sorry about the cliffie last time, but I hope this and the outtake will make up for it!**

**Thank you so much for all your reviews, and for adding me to favourites and follows. **

**Some of you might be aware of the 'Taste of the Forbidden' Anonymous Contest, run by an amazing group of Twilight Fan Fiction's brightest stars. I have entered this contest but one of the rules is that I can't tell you which one is my entry! There are some brilliant (and very naughty) stories that are all worth reading, and it would be great to get as many people as possible voting! Just search for 'Taste of the Forbidden' as an author to find the contest, stories and how to vote. **

**I don't own Twilight. I wish I did!**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 24**

"_Edward?" I answered, praying it was him._

"_Bella? It's Carlisle. Are you all right?"_

"_Um, hi. I'm fine. It's just...Edward's not here...he..." _

"_Bella, Esme and I are with him." Relief washed over me, but then confusion. Why were his parents with him? What was going on?_

"_Oh, thank God! Where are you?"_

"_Um, we're in the hospital, here in Leeds. Edward's had an accident."_

-cc-

I dropped the phone in shock.

"_Bella? Bella?" _

"Sorry. I dropped the phone. What happened? Is he OK?"

There was silence on the other end of the line. My heart lurched as the panic seized through me.

"Carlisle? Please! Is he OK?"

"_Bella, it's pretty serious. Can you get down here?"_

"Yes. Which hospital?"

"Leeds General Infirmary."

"Which ward?"

There was another moment of silence. _I'm learning that your silences are not good silences, Carlisle._

"_Intensive Care Unit."_

I couldn't help but gasp. Intensive Care Unit. That was where the most unwell patients in the hospital went, wasn't it?

Once I arrived, I followed the signs to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and stood outside for a few moments just staring at the imposing sign outside the double doors. My heart was pounding, my hands were clammy and my mind was in turmoil with worry and questions. What had happened to my Edward? Where had he gone with no phone or keys or wallet and why? How long had he been in hospital? Why did they call his parents and not me? Most of all, I felt guilt eat me up. _If I hadn't kept him out of our bedroom last night, this might not have happened._

Finally I mustered up the courage to press the buzzer. When I told the person my name, the doors creaked open and I walked in. Carlisle and Esme were sat in a waiting area and immediately jumped up to greet me.

"Oh, Bella! I'm so pleased you're here!" Esme cried, throwing her arms around me. Carlisle hugged me too and I could see that he and Esme were ashen with worry.

"What's happened? How bad is it? Why did they call you and not me?" I asked in a rush. Esme motioned for me to sit down.

"Bella, Edward was hit by a van around 1am this morning." 1am? I had stormed off to bed around two hours earlier. "The driver says that he walked out in front of the van as he was driving around a corner. He was injured quite badly. He has a broken thigh bone, a broken collarbone, broken jaw and he also had quite a lot of internal bleeding..." Carlisle began.

At hearing the list of his injuries, my heart twisted with pain and sorrow rose up. I ended up bursting into tears.

"No, no, no..." Esme put her arm around me and held me against her as I sobbed.

"Shh, Bella. We're here for you, sweetie." _This is my fault. My fault._

"I'm sorry, Bella, there's a little more for me to tell you." I looked back at Carlisle who looked almost broken himself at describing his only child's injuries. I quietened my sobs, reached out to hold his hand and nodded for him to continue.

"They said that Edward was conscious at first but clearly had been drinking. He was able to tell the ambulance crew his name and date of birth and that he was in pain but nothing else. An hour or so later, whilst the paramedic team was still trying to assess him, he suddenly lost consciousness."

God, things were going from bad to worse!

"W-w-what did they do?"

"They put him through the CT scanner which showed that he had some bleeding on his brain and showed the bleeding in his abdomen. They rushed him to surgery to operate first to sort out the brain haemorrhage and then on his abdomen as well. His spleen had ruptured so they had to remove it. He still needs one more operation to wire his jaw but he's still unconscious and needing help from an artificial ventilator to breathe at the moment. The surgeons want to wait until he's breathing on his own before they do more surgery."

I was silent for a while just absorbing the news of how unwell Edward was. _Brain haemorrhage. Ruptured spleen. Artificial ventilation. Jaw surgery. Broken bones. Still unconscious. _

Edward was barely alive and it was my fault. I didn't let him explain about Heidi. I went to bed angry and left him alone, drunk and upset, and it seemed that I could now lose him forever.

"Bella?" Esme asked gently. I looked down and saw that I was clutching her hand and Carlisle's in a vice-like grip. I loosened my hands from theirs but still held on.

"We fought last night. We had been to a party and he was really drunk. He embarrassed me and when we got home I was so angry I picked a fight over his seeing Heidi in London a few days ago, despite the fact that he was still so intoxicated, and then I banned him from our room." I explained through my tears. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! You must hate me!"

"Of course not! Bella dear, surely you don't think this is your fault?" Carlisle replied.

"If I hadn't left him out, he wouldn't have wandered off without phone or keys or wallet and he wouldn't have walked in front of a van!"

"Bella, this was an accident. It's not your fault, or Edward's fault or the van driver's fault." Esme added, now looking teary-eyed herself. "We all need to be strong Sweetie, because the rough ride is only just beginning."

I nodded and hugged her. In a relatively short period of time, Esme and Carlisle had become as important to me as my own family.

"OK." I said. "How did they come to phone you? Edward had left his things behind in the house."

"The nurse in the Emergency Department typed Edward's name and date of birth into a national database which lists each person's address, doctor and next of kin. It gets updated whenever a patient sees their named doctor. Edward must not have registered with a new doctor in Leeds yet because the last address they had for him was ours in Evesham, and I was listed as his next of kin." Carlisle explained.

"Yes, they phoned us around 8am, and we drove straight up here. We tried to phone you but your phone was switched off."

"I went into work this morning for an urgent meeting, and my battery died during it, so I left it off whilst it charged up." I explained, feeling guilty all over again.

"Bella, would you like to see Edward? Apparently he was asking for you before he lost consciousness."

"Of course!"

"I need to warn you though, he looks...there are a lot of tubes and machines and he's quite battered and bruised."

I swallowed hard. I was quite squeamish when it came to blood and gore, but I needed to see him. I needed to feel his skin and tell him that I loved him more than life itself and that I was sorry.

"Please, Carlisle. That doesn't matter."

"OK." Carlisle and I got up but Esme stayed behind.

"Esme?"

"They're very strict with their visiting rules here. They only allow two people at a time at the bedside. You go. I'm going to make some phone calls and..." she sniffled, and suddenly I realised. There were only so many times Esme could face seeing her only child battered, bruised and unconscious. I leant down and kissed her cheek.

"OK."

I followed Carlisle down a corridor and through another set of doors into a large, very well air-conditioned room with a central nurses' station and several cubicles closed off by sterile blue concertinaed paper curtains. The distant sounds of machines beeping and the smell of antiseptic hit me. Carlisle approached an efficient looking authoritative nurse in navy scrubs. She was in her mid-40s and looked Spanish in origin.

"Hello again, Luisa."

"Hello Dr Cullen." She glanced over me. "Is this Edward's fiancée?"

"Yes. Bella Swan. Bella, this is Luisa Molina, the charge nurse. She's running the unit today."

"Hello. Thank you so much for looking after Edward."

"You're welcome Miss Swan. Let me take you to Edward. His named nurse, David, is with him now."

We followed her to one of the end cubicles and she pulled back the curtain. Nothing anyone could have said would have prepared me for what I saw.

Edward looked like a shell of himself. He was pale and had tubes coming out of places I didn't know it was possible to put tubes. His hair was lank, his entire left side was black and blue with bruises. His tummy was covered in stark white bandages, his left leg was in plaster and most frightening of all, he had a tube running from a wound in his throat to a machine that seemed was clicking and sighing- the artificial ventilator. Around him were a whole set of other machines and pumps.

A male nurse in his late 20s, dressed in royal blue scrubs, was sat on a stool to one side of the bed in front of a large white chart into which he was inputting numbers, dots and lines.

"Hello, I'm David. I'm Edward's named nurse. You must be Edward's fiancée Bella?" He asked, speaking in a soft Yorkshire accent. I merely nodded. "I'm sure that seeing him like this must be right frightening, so please don't hesitate to ask any questions."

"May I hold his hand?"

"Of course." I tentatively moved to Edward's right side and picked up his hand. It was cold and immediately I remembered missing his warmth earlier that morning when I woke up without him.

"Edward, Baby, it's Bella." I said quietly, trying to contain the sobs rising in my throat. "Oh, God...I'm so sorry Handsome. I love you and I'm so sorry about our fight and that this happened to you."

I stroked his wrist and brushed the hair away from his face. Despite his injuries, he looked serene and pain-free.

I turned back to Carlisle and David.

"How long will the machine need to breathe for him?" I asked.

"Hopefully not too long. We're going to try him without it tomorrow morning and see if he can breathe for himself." David replied.

"And if he can't?" I asked, trying to prepare myself for the worst case scenarios. David looked to Carlisle and back to me.

"Then we will give him some more time and try again." David said, clearly knowing that I wanted a more substantial answer but apparently unwilling or unable to give one.

"Carlisle?" I looked away from David to see two men approaching. One was older, the same age as Carlisle, rather portly, with a distinguished air about him. He was dressed in a suit. The other was younger, in his late-30s, and was dressed in green scrubs.

"John." Carlisle and the older man shook hands warmly. "Thank you. Thank you so much!" He turned to me. "Bella, this is Professor John Gerandy. He is the head of neurosurgery here. He operated on Edward this morning when they found the bleeding on his brain. We went to Cambridge together. John, this is Edward's fiancée, Bella Swan."

I shook Professor Gerandy's hand and glanced at Carlisle. He had been very stoic so far, but I could tell from the expression on his face that in meeting his friend again, that he was as worried as Esme and I.

"You saved our Edward's life." I further understood. "Thank you, Professor."

"Don't thank me yet, Miss Swan. My team and I drained the blood and fixed a tear in a bleeding vessel that had ruptured because of the accident. That has relieved the pressure and because we were able to operate so quickly, the chances of Edward recovering fully are excellent. However the bleeding was extensive and put a lot of pressure on his brain, therefore my Intensive Care specialist colleague..." He indicated to the younger doctor in scrubs. "...and I decided to take the stress of trying to breathe away by putting him on the ventilator."

"Miss Swan, Dr Cullen, my name is Dr Chris Banner. I'm the consultant Intensive Care Specialist on duty this weekend. We don't anticipate that Edward will have any trouble coming off the ventilator tomorrow morning, but we will need to keep him sedated for at least a day or two after that, because of the amount of pain he will be in. Once he wakes up from that, we should be able to transfer him to the Neurosurgery Step-Down Unit, where he can continue his recovery in a less invasive setting."

I felt better after Dr Banner's explanation but I would not feel whole until Edward was back with me, in my arms.

-cc-

Visiting hours ended at 8pm, by which time Carlisle, Esme and I were exhausted and emotionally drained. I insisted that they stay at our house. I needed their presence. After throwing together some pasta for dinner, Carlisle, Esme and I made a list of phone calls to make and tasks to do. Carlisle and Esme arranged to take a week off from work. I phoned Siobhan in order to do the same. She was very sympathetic and asked me to let her know when she could visit Edward.

Before I could phone Jenks to let him know I wasn't going to be in for a few days, he happened to phone me.

"_Bella I'm sorry to phone on a Saturday night but it's important."_

"Actually, it's really not a good time..."

"_It's just that we're having trouble accessing the accounts of those departments from beyond three years ago. It seems they're in archive somewhere and everyone we speak to is claiming they don't know how to find them. We can't prove your theory without them."_

I sighed. The deal just wasn't important anymore. Nothing mattered without Edward next to me.

"Jenks, my fiancée is critically unwell in hospital. I can't deal with this right now. Siobhan's covering for me whilst I'm away."

"_Oh. Sorry. But..."_

I came up with an idea on the spur of the moment to try to move things along and get Jenks off the phone.

"Look, Jenks, I'll email Siobhan to ask for approval for Paul approaching the company's head of IT to investigate the involved departments' internet usage and emails to see if there's any evidence of conspiracy or sabotage. Paul and the trainees can sort through the data next week and then we can ask Irina Denali's team for a consultation if need be." Irina Denali was a senior partner based at VDI New York, the younger sister of Tanya, and specialised in corporate corruption and sabotage cases. "You just try to access those archived accounts. Perhaps point out that if it's not you, it will be the government. They're already more interested than VDI would like because the deal's been stalled."

"_OK. Thanks Bella and I hope Edward gets better soon."_

"Thanks Jenks, good night."

I turned to Carlisle and Esme.

"I'm so sorry. That should be it for the work calls." Carlisle came up and put his arm around my shoulder.

"You apologise too much Bella. I'm amazed that you could come up with any sort of coherent answer amidst your obvious distress. Edward's right when he says you're the sharpest mind he knows."

I crumbled into tears all over again at the mention of Edward's opinion of me. Carlisle held me whilst Esme rubbed my back soothingly.

"Why don't we have some tea, Sweetie?" Esme suggested. "I'll make it."

Once we had tea we finished the rest of the phone calls, emails and other tasks before heading to bed. That night I couldn't sleep. Once again I missed being in Edward's arms as I lay in our bed. I replayed our last argument over and over again. I tried to think about life without Edward in order to prepare myself in case he didn't recover but the thought was so overwhelmingly painful that I nearly cried out in terror. Eventually, at 6am, I gave up on sleep and went downstairs. To my surprise, Esme was sitting at our breakfast bar, brewing a pot of coffee in our new coffee maker.

"Couldn't sleep either?" she asked.

"No. I'm too used to sleeping next to Edward now."

"I'm the same with Carlisle. Whenever he's away at a conference without me or working in the hospital late I toss and turn." She told me. "I used to be that way when Edward was away from home too, whenever he was on a school trip, or at camp, and it took months for me to sleep properly at night when he went away to university."

"How did you cope that time when he was in hospital after he crashed his motorbike?" I asked. "I know it was a long time ago and that he wasn't in for that long but..."

"God, it was one of the worst nights of my life. Although obviously yesterday usurps it." Esme replied. "Carlisle and I had been to a charity ball and as we drove home we passed the scene of the accident. There were police and ambulance crews all over the place. Carlisle stopped to see if he could help and was horrified when we realised that one stretcher held Edward whose arm was hanging at an awful angle, and who was awake but in shock, and that the other held a very unconscious Emmett, whose parents we'd just left not fifteen minutes earlier."

"Emmett was in the accident too?"

"You didn't know that?" I shook my head.

"Emmett was riding pillion. He had a nasty concussion and a very small bleed on the brain, nothing like the size of Edward's today. He took a couple of days to wake up and he went home a week later, absolutely fine. For Edward, it took six weeks after his surgery for his arm to heal, but the accident had other long-lasting effects." She glanced at me with a look of anguish on her face.

"You don't mean physical effects, do you, Esme?"

"No."

"That's where the self-deprecation comes from." I said, suddenly realising. "The fixation with doing the right thing, the insecurities, the overreaction when he thinks I'm in danger or being hit on. It started with the accident and Emmett being hurt."

"Exactly. He still believes, despite me, Carlisle, Emmett and all the doctors who looked after them telling him otherwise, that he nearly killed Emmett that night. He's never forgiven himself, and still tortures himself over it."

"He tells me almost everything. I wonder why he didn't tell me about Emmett being in the accident with him."

"He already feels like he doesn't deserve the good things that happen to him, Sweetie. Your love and respect are the only things that he told us he can't live without. If you turned round and walked away from him after he told you, he'd never have coped."

"But I wouldn't. It was an accident. He was seventeen!"

"I know that and you know that, but Edward doesn't believe it." Esme replied. "And when you add in the Cambridge thing, he doubly feels like he's a failure."

"What Cambridge thing?"

"He really kept you in the dark about this, didn't he?" Esme asked rhetorically. "Edward always thought he would go to Cambridge, from when he was old enough to know what a university was. He would have been the fourth generation of Cullens to go, and the third from my side. Carlisle and I met there."

"Wow. I had no idea."

"Edward's interview for Cambridge was three weeks after the accident. He was an absolute wreck. He was having panic attacks, not sleeping and hardly eating. We phoned to see if they would postpone the interview but they wouldn't and Edward refused to miss it."

"So he didn't get in."

"No. He didn't even make the wait list."

"Which college?"

Esme hesitated.

"Emmanuel."

"That was my college." I whispered. "We would have known each other." She nodded gravely.

"A double blow. He became convinced that if the accident hadn't happened, he would have gotten into Cambridge and perhaps he was right. But later, when he fell in love with you, he regretted it further. He became convinced that you and he would have been together for ten years by now if he'd gotten into Cambridge."

I couldn't help but start crying yet again.

"S-sorry. I used to wish, so many times over the years Edward was just my friend, that I had eschewed the reputation and honour of Cambridge, and just gone to Leeds. Then I wouldn't have spent three years working myself to the bone, hardly going out, never getting to enjoy being at university, and I would have met Edward." I sobbed, my heart cracking all over again.

Esme wrapped her arms around me and let me calm in her arms. That was how Carlisle found us half an hour later. He kissed both of us on the forehead before hugging us tightly.

"We're going to get through this. Edward is going to be fine." He whispered. "He has to be."

Carlisle, Esme and I were back in the hospital at 10am, ready for visiting hours. Unlike the previous afternoon when it had been quite quiet, there were swarms of people in different coloured scrubs milling around, led by Dr Banner. As we approached he smiled at us and broke away from the pack.

"Hello there. I have good news. We did a trial without the ventilator for Edward and he is now breathing for himself."

Dr Banner escorted us to Edward's cubicle, apparently not bothered about the unit's 'only 2 visitors at a time' rule. Edward still looked ghastly and he still had a tube in his throat but the loud machine that had been doing the sighing and clicking yesterday was gone.

"And you'll keep him sedated for another day or two?"

"Probably just until tomorrow morning. Edward's young. He was in good physical shape before the accident and his charts show that he is maintaining his blood pressure with very little need for additional medication. If his breathing goes the same way now he's off the ventilator, we can increase the pain relief and decrease the sedation."

"Bella, we're going to give you some time alone with Edward whilst we talk to Professor Gerandy." Carlisle added. I glanced behind us. Professor Gerandy had just arrived on the unit, surrounded by his own swarm of younger doctors, mostly dressed in suits like he was. Esme glanced at Edward, her expression a mixture of much concern but also a little relief, before going with Carlisle. She was still finding it hard to spend long periods of time seeing her son so damaged.

"OK, thank you." I said as they moved away.

I turned my attention back to my fiancé. I stroked the side of his face, kissed his too-dry lips softly and held his hands. He didn't quite smell the same- he smelled super-clean, _too _clean, too sterile, but underneath there was still a hint of delicious Edward-ness. I let go of his hand momentarily to bring out my rose-flavoured lip balm. The air-conditioned air inside the Intensive Care Unit was drying out my lips as well. I quickly applied some and, as an afterthought, applied a little to Edward's lips too.

"I know how much you like to kiss this off me, Baby. This way I'm kissing you even when my lips aren't touching yours." I murmured quietly into his ear, closing my eyes briefly to stop from crying again.

I tried to remind myself that Edward could be awake tomorrow, and that the chances he would make a full recovery were good. However I couldn't help but be shit-scared of the possibility that he might not make it. And if he didn't make it...I probably wouldn't. From the moment we had gotten together, our lives as well as our hearts had completely intertwined. With Edward, our future was sparkling and bright. Without him, it was a black hole.

I was brought out of my musing by a subtle throat-clear.

"Sorry Miss Swan, I just need to do a couple of checks." It was Luisa Molina, the charge nurse. She motioned for me to move to the other side of Edward.

"Of course. Sorry."

"I really didn't want to interrupt you, but we have to check the machines every fifteen minutes." She replied, smiling kindly at me. She checked the array of beeping, squeaking, flashing machines quickly and went back to write some numbers on the big white chart at the end of the bed. "All done."

"Thank you." I replied, rather inanely.

I went back to his right side and held his hand.

"May I share something with you Miss Swan?" Luisa asked quietly. I turned to face her.

"Yes, please?" I replied curiously.

"When you held Edward's hand, when you kissed him and when you rubbed his lips, his heart rate went down slightly."

"Is that good or bad?"

"I think it's good. I think it shows that he knows you are here. It's not a huge difference but it is noticeable."

Luisa pointed to a machine which was flashing with a bright green number '94'. I let go of Edward's hand and the number rose to '98'. I held his hand again and the number went back down to 94.

A tear trickled down my cheek and I let it fall, not wanting to lose my contact with Edward's hand.

"Thank you again." I whispered. Luisa smiled and nodded before walking away.

Suddenly the little seed of hope in my heart, the hope that Edward would be all right, sprouted a little green shoot.

-cc-

**AN: Thank you for reading. If you feel like it, please leave a review! **


	26. Chapter 25

**AN: Hi everyone! Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed this week. And hello to all my new readers, followers and people who have added me to favourites. You rock!**

**I'm also posting one chapter of the EPOV companion piece, 'High Stays the Tide', today. Please check it out if you've not done so already. **

**I mentioned at the beginning of the last chapter that I'd entered the Taste of The Forbidden Anonymous Contest. Well...I got an Honourable Mention for my story, 'Just One Night'! Yay! I'm really pleased with it! I am turning it into a short multi-chapter story, so if you read it and liked it, please add follow it for the next chapter. **

**As ever, I do not own Twilight or its amazing original characters. I just own this story and a big grin thanks to my success in the contest!**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 25**

Carlisle, Esme and I spent almost the whole day in the hospital. Esme did eventually work her way up to spending some time at Edward's bedside but the stress of seeing him so frail got to her and by 7pm, she was exhausted. She tried to fight it but when Carlisle suggested we went home, she nodded meekly.

As we pulled into the driveway and were waiting for the gates to open, my phone beeped with a text.

_Bella, hope Edward doing better today. Please, please text or call as soon as you're home. Important. Alice xxx xxx_

I texted to let her know we were back and not five minutes later she was knocking on my back door.

"Oh Bella!" She flung herself at me and hugged me with all her might. I held onto my best friend tightly. "I'm so sorry!" I looked behind her to see Jasper carrying Jackson in his carry-cot in one hand, and a picnic basket in the other. He leant forward and kissed my cheek as Alice passed.

"Hey Little Swan, how're ya doing?" I shrugged and he patted my shoulder sympathetically. "Sorry ta descend on ya like this but ah..." he indicated behind him. I gasped as I saw Rosalie walking up the path leading Emmett, who was dressed in crumpled scrubs, up the path to our drive. "Emmett's not handling all this too well." Jasper added in a whisper.

Emmett looked ghastly. His big frame was slumped and his eyes were bloodshot. Rosalie too looked tired and drawn. I had phoned Rosalie to tell her what happened the previous night. Emmett had been working and she promised to tell him the moment she could. I guessed that neither of them had had any sleep in the past 24 hours.

"Hey Chick." She too hugged me fiercely. "I'm sorry to come up unannounced but Emmett..." she gestured to her fiancé.

"Bella, is he going to be OK? He has to be OK! We were going to come to the hospital to see him but then we realised there are lots of hospitals in Leeds and you weren't answering your phones and...how is he?" Emmett was speaking rapidly and hyperventilating.

I had never seen him unglued. He was usually so sunny, the life and soul of the party, the macho surgeon. Whilst I knew that he and Edward considered each other as brothers, I had underestimated just how close a bond the two shared. Suddenly I understood why Edward had been so devastated when Emmett was the one in the hospital bed, why it had had such a profound impact on him.

"Em, come, sit. " Esme took his hand and sat him down at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. Esme started to explain but Carlisle put his hand on her shoulder.

"Let me explain please my darling." My heart panged. _Edward calls me that too. "_Emmett, he's in ICU. He had an extradural haemorrhage which has been evacuated and repaired and a splenectomy. He also had a compound left femoral shaft fracture which has been reduced, internally fixed and stabilised. He's off the vent and is requiring minimal inotropic support. They're going to stop the sedation in the morning and are hoping to get him to Step-Down in the next few days."

The explanation of Edward's condition in medical terms seemed to relax Emmett. _It must be a doctor thing. _

"Thanks Uncle Carl." Carlisle put his arm around Emmett's big shoulders.

"Emmett was operating all night and until 1pm this afternoon. When he came home and I told him, he insisted that we get straight into the car and come up. I barely had time to grab a change of clothes for us." Rosalie said. "I really hope we're not imposing..."

I looked around at the room. Esme and Carlisle. Emmett and Rosalie, Alice, Jasper and baby Jackson. They were my support. My rocks.

"I'm so glad you're here!" I cried, tears springing to my eyes for the millionth time that weekend. "You could never impose! I feel so...so...loved." I added with a sob.

"You are loved, Darlin'." Jasper said. "You and Edward, you're family to us." I couldn't help but smile a little. He and Edward had become close friends since we had moved to Leeds. They played football on the weekends. "Speaking of family, maybe you should check your voicemail, Little Swan."

"OK..." I picked up my mobile. Sure enough there was voicemail. I rang through and heard Peter's voice.

"_Bella, I'm so sorry to hear about Edward. We wanted to come over to Leeds but Charlotte's waters broke not fifteen minutes after you called us. She gave birth to your nephew, ten hours later. We named him Anthony 'cause that's Edward's middle name and it suits him. He's very small because he's a few weeks early but he's perfect. He'd going to be in hospital for another few days as he still needs some help with his breathing so we can't come over now. I really am sorry, Sis. We'll be over as soon as we can. Love you so much. Call me whenever you want."_

There was another voicemail after that. This time from my father.

"_Hey Kid. You've probably heard by now that your nephew's arrived earlier than expected. Your mother and I were making plans to come up to see you when we got the call. We can't stand the thought of you going through hell all alone, Bella. But we need to be there for Petey too so your mother's going to Rome and I'm coming to you. I'll be there tonight sometime."_

Everyone was waiting for me to speak.

"Um, my sister-in-law's just given birth to my nephew. They've named him Anthony after Edward's middle name." I told them, rather stunned. "And my dad's coming up, anytime now."

"Jeez, what a day." Alice said after a moment. She picked up the picnic basket. "Does anybody feel like dinner?"

Emmett's head spun towards Alice.

"Food?" Alice nodded. "What is it?"

"Chicken Chasseur, roasted new potatoes and Mediterranean vegetables, and chocolate brownies for dessert."

"I could eat." Emmett said, perking up slightly. His stomach growled in anticipation.

"Me too." Rosalie added.

"Me three." Esme echoed.

"Actually, I'm starving." Carlisle agreed.

Alice smiled to herself. She, like Edward, had never been much of a cook, but decided to learn whilst on maternity leave and now delighted in feeding people. I didn't want to say that my appetite was in my boots, however, so I just nodded.

"Great." She walked into the main part of the kitchen and despite not being told where everything was, pulled out plates and cutlery.

The doorbell rang then and I went to answer it.

"Hey Kid." My father was stood at the door, his arms wide open.

"Daddy." I fell into my Charlie's arms but the sobs and tears that had plagued me all day didn't come. It seemed like I was all cried out, for today at least.

"You look like you've been through a war, Bells."

"I feel like I have." Charlie didn't look too great himself. It was a really long drive from Southampton. He must have been on the road for six hours at least. "Come through to the kitchen, Dad. Alice has made dinner and we're just about to sit down."

We walked through to the kitchen and Charlie was enthusiastically welcomed. Alice had laid the new dining table (which still had the plastic wrapping on the legs) and everyone was starting to eat. I sat down too but I could only stare at the food in front of me.

_Edward should be here. Edward should be at the head of the table at the first meal to be eaten on it._ .

-cc-

The next morning, Carlisle, Esme, Charlie, Emmett, Rosalie and I sat in the ICU seating area waiting for Dr Banner and his team to give us the OK to see Edward. He had been out briefly to tell us that the sedation had been stopped but that they needed to do some tests before they could let us in. Carlisle had sweet-talked him and Luisa Molina to letting Emmett see Edward but unfortunately they drew the line at anyone else. They didn't like too many visitors because of the risk of infection to both patients and relatives. Rosalie and Charlie had come to sit with us in the waiting room. Alice and Jasper showed their support too; they coordinated with a very concerned Ben, Angela, Seth and Embry to take over fielding the many concerned phone calls and emails we were receiving each day and to keep my kitchen stocked with meals and snacks so that Esme, Carlisle and I wouldn't have to worry about food.

"God, why are they taking so long?" Emmett complained. "Now I know why my patients' and their relatives hate the waiting room so much."

"Patience, Babe." Rosalie replied, curling her hand around his. He leaned into her and kissed her on the temple. I was happy to see that they were so happy and in love, but it was just a further painful reminder that my Edward couldn't kiss me right now.

Finally Dr Banner emerged. Everyone got up but he put his hands up.

"Sorry, but just Miss Swan first please." I looked at Carlisle who just shrugged. "We'll come and get the rest of you in a few minutes." He added cryptically.

"Dr Banner, is everything all right?" He turned and nodded, giving me a half-smile, but didn't say anything more until we were at Edward's cubicle.

"David?" David turned round from the big white chart. "See you shortly Miss Swan." Dr Banner added before walking away. Confused, I turned my attention back to David.

"Hello again Miss Swan." David greeted me with a warm smile. From his expression it didn't seem like he was particularly worried.

"Hi. How is Edward doing?"

"Good. Very good actually." David gestured for me to go to Edward's right and to have a seat on the waiting stool. I did so and took Edward's hand. David stood by the edge of the bed next to me.

"We thought you'd like to be the first one to see this..." David leant forward and placed his hand on Edward's shoulder before shaking him slightly. "Edward? Edward?"

To my utter surprise, Edward's eyes fluttered open.

"Bella?" Edward's voice was hoarse and croaky, but it was still the most delightful sound I'd ever heard. I couldn't help but gasp.

"Edward! Edward! Handsome, it's me! Bella!" I exclaimed, loudly, unable to contain my delight. He opened his eyes!

"Bella." He said, a little more firmly. His mouth curled slightly into a crooked smile and I melted as he looked into my eyes for the first time in three long days.

"I'm here Baby. I'm here."

"Bella."

"Edward. Oh, Baby. I'm sorry. I love you. I'm so sorry." I leant over and kissed him softly on his lovely pink lips and then on his forehead. "I've missed you. So so much." He smiled a bit more but then his eyes fluttered closed. "Edward? Edward?"

"He's still exhausted and the pain medication also makes him tired, but he's doing very well, Miss Swan, to be saying anything at all." David explained. "So far, the only word he's said is your name."

"But that's going to improve, right?"

"We think so." David replied, smiling warmly at me.

The shoot of hope in my heart grew a couple of roots.

"I don't want to leave him but I'd like his best friend Emmett to come in. He's been frantically worried." I said to David.

"No problem." David beckoned a young woman in pale blue-grey scrubs who was stocking up a small trolley with syringes and packets of gauze nearby. "Mia? Please could you go to the waiting room and ask for...?"

"Emmett McCarty."

"...Emmett McCarty, for, Edward Cullen?" Mia nodded and scurried away. She returned moments later with Emmett.

"Bella, what's going on? Is he OK?" Emmett cried before suddenly stopping in his track at the sight of his best friend looking so ill. "Holy fuck..." he whispered under his breath. He turned to me.

"He's better, Em. He woke up! He...he...he said my name!" I exclaimed. Emmett hugged me tightly to his side.

"Bell, really?"

"Yeah, although he's drifted back to sleep again." Emmett moved to Edward's side and clutched his hand.

"'Dward, you woke up for Bell, do you think you could do it for me, Dude?" he asked. His eyes glimmered with anticipation, but that faded when Edward didn't respond.

"Do you want some time with him alone?" I asked. "And you can ask David all the medical questions I'm sure you want to ask." I gestured to David who smiled at us warmly before continuing his checks.

"Um, yeah. I'd love a few minutes, please." Emmett replied. He was on the verge of tears. I nodded and walked back towards the waiting room.

Emmett got half an hour with Edward before Carlisle became desperate to see his son and by then Esme had also worked up her courage. Emmett returned with a smile on his face, but immediately proclaimed he was hungry. Charlie's eyes lit up at the mention of food and the two of them went to find the hospital canteen.

Rosalie moved next to me.

"So, Chick, are you really coping as well as you're making out? Or is it your game-face?" She asked. "I noticed that you didn't eat much last night. And I bet you're not sleeping."

"Game-face." I whispered.

"Thought so." She whispered back before placing an arm around me and squeezing. I rested my head on my dear friend's shoulder, relishing the comfort.

"It's my fault he's here, Rosalie. If we hadn't argued, we'd be having brunch right now, reading the Sunday papers out to each other, unpacking our house and christening the new furniture."

"Bella, come on. You don't know what was going through Edward's head. He was drunk. Jasper said he was almost paralytic when you left their house on Friday night."

"But if I'd put him to bed instead of shutting him out..."

"Bella stop. Please don't torture yourself."

"He can't cope with rejection. He would have taken it to mean that I didn't want him. Especially after I shoved that picture of him and Heidi in his face and stormed off."

"You showed him that? I thought you were going to hang back."

"I was so angry, Rosalie. I'd had a lot to drink myself and he'd embarrassed me. So I added fuel to the fire."

"What did he say?"

"He was too drunk to say anything coherent really. I didn't give him much chance to explain either."

"I don't know if now is the time or place to tell you this but..." I looked up at her.

"What?" I asked. "You heard something about Heidi?" She shook her head.

"I heard from Heidi directly."

"Tell. Me. Everything." I begged.

"I needed to issue an urgent statement about VDI's updated projected profits for this financial year and my assistant was on an errand so I went to the press office myself. Heidi was in there, talking to a colleague"

"You eavesdropped?"

"Naturally!" She laughed but quickly resumed being serious. "Her colleague asked her why she'd been so quiet all week and Heidi told her that she'd bumped into her ex earlier in the week and was brooding over her past mistakes."

"What happened next?"

"Heidi went onto tell her friend that she'd been a bitch to Edward throughout their relationship and that even though Edward was right when he said that they weren't compatible long-term, she wished she'd realised what a good guy he was when they were together instead of throwing him away."

"Did she say anything about us getting married?"

"Yeah. She said that Edward was getting married to another lawyer and that she'd never seen him look so happy."

"So did Kate misinterpret or did she lie?"

"Personally, I think she's lying, Chick."

"Why?" Rosalie shrugged.

"Because she's a jealous cow?"

"Jealous? Of me?"

"Yeah. Totally!" Rosalie exclaimed, as if it was obvious.

"Why?"

"Bella, you have the life she wants. The career, the respect, the travel, the money, and Edward's the icing on the cake. Her life's going down the shitter and I think she blames you."

"B-b-but that's absurd! I've done nothing that could have any bearing on her life! And as for Edward..."

Before I could continue my confused rant, Carlisle and Esme came back. Esme was beaming.

"Oh Bella, he opened his eyes again! It was only for a minute but he saw us and smiled a tiny bit!"

"It was amazing." Carlisle echoed.

We continued to dip in and out to see Edward all afternoon and into the early evening. He opened his eyes a few more times but the only word he would say was my name. It was soon time to go home and I went in to say goodbye to my beloved.

"Edward, Baby?" He flickered his eyes open and smiled when he saw me.

"Bella." He murmured. "Bella."

"Hey." I kissed him gently. "It's getting late and we're going to have to go soon to let you get some rest." Edward's smile faded. "I'm sorry, Handsome. But I'll be back as soon as they let me back in tomorrow."

"Bella." He looked like he wanted to say something and was frustrated that he couldn't manage it.

"What is it, Baby?" He continued to look frustrated but didn't say anything. His lips were dry again and I fished my lip balm out of my pocket before rubbing some on his lips and mine.

"Bella." He said once more when I was finished. I stared into his eyes and clutched his hand. "Love you."

A single tear worked its way out of my eye.

"Edward, I love you too! So much. You're going to get better and then we're going to get married and we're going to be happier than we've ever dreamed, Handsome." He smiled wider than he'd managed all day, although it clearly caused him pain.

"Love Bella. Love you." He closed his eyes once again and drifted back to sleep. I stroked his hair before reluctantly leaving him.

That night, I crawled into bed wearing Edward's old football t-shirt and a pair of his boxers but after an hour I was still tossing and turning, my mind still whirring over everything that had happened. I clutched his pillow to my face and inhaled deeply but his scent had faded. I suddenly really needed to smell him. I got up out of bed and went to the wardrobe. Edward had been so distracted by the presentation to the partners earlier in the week that he'd hardly unpacked any of his stuff. Hanging in his side of the large fitted wardrobes were two suits, two shirts, a pair of jeans and a couple of t-shirts. I pressed my face to his clothes but they too, had lost his smell.

On the floor of the wardrobe were a few boxes and a couple of suitcases. I opened the top suitcase and was immediately flooded with Edward's warm, spicy, woodsy scent. I picked up the top item- one of Edward's City of London Law School t-shirts- and pulled it out before shutting the suitcase quickly to preserve the scent of the remaining contents. I pushed the suitcase to the back of the wardrobe and in doing so, I realised that I had squished the top of one of the boxes underneath. I pulled the box out to check that nothing was damaged. It was a plain brown box just a bit bigger than a shoebox. It was quite light and labelled 'B letters.'

I opened the box carefully. It was rammed full of blue envelopes (Edward's letter-writing stationery of choice), banded together with rubber bands in bundles of seven. I picked up a bundle and almost dropped it again when I realised that the first envelope was addressed to 'My dear Bella.' I flicked through the rest of the bundle. They were all addressed to me in one way or another. I flicked through some of the other bundles. They were all written to me. Each envelope was labelled discreetly with a number. I found Letter 1. It was unsealed; the top was just tucked into the bottom. It was written in January of last year, when Edward would have been in Malawi with his parents.

_Dear Bella_

_I'm going to start this letter by saying something that I should have told you a long time ago. Well two things actually. _

_The first is that you are the most beautiful girl in the world. No arguments. The MOST beautiful girl in the universe. Inside and out. Outside and in. _

_The second is that I have been in love with you pretty much since the moment I met you. _

_You rocked my world when you told me that you had feelings for me in Paris. Turned it completely on its head. And me being a complete idiot, I did the exact opposite of what I should have done, of what I actually wanted to do. I should have taken you into my arms, brushed your silky hair away from your face and told you that nothing else matters to me as much as you. I should have picked you up, carried you from that armchair, placed you on the bed and worshipped you with my words, my lips and my body. I should have looked into your gorgeous brown eyes, picked up my phone and broken up with Heidi then and there, in front of you. _

_Instead I did the cowardly thing. I ran all the way back to London. I did break up with Heidi, literally the next day, but I wouldn't let myself face you. The thing is, darling Gorgeous Bella, you are an angel. And I've always believed that I don't deserve you. I've done things in the past that I'm not proud of, and my life is a mess. I have nothing to offer you. You deserve someone who can support and lift you even higher than you already soar, and I've barely been able to get up in the morning._

_Being here in Malawi has given me a lot of time to think and a lot of time to speak about you and my past with my parents. Thinking about every single moment of time I've spent with you, I've realised that your affection permeated through every single encounter we shared, just in a very subtle way. My mother says that if you're as great as I say you are, then there are good reasons why you care about me, even if I can't see them. _

_I don't know about that, but I'm going to work on it. I want to be happy. I want to be happy with you. I can only be truly happy with you._

_I love you._

_Edward. _

I read the letter twice before picking up Letter 2. Before I knew it, I'd read half of them. After the first letter, he wrote one every day. In some letters he wrote about what he was doing in Malawi. In others he wrote about random childhood memories. In one, he told me exactly how he came to break up with Heidi. In a few others, he mentioned his unhappiness whilst working for Tanya Denali. In each and every one, he told me he loved me.

"_...I remember the first time I saw you like it was yesterday. I almost fell over with lust and awe as I took in your shiny hair, your perfectly peachy ass and your doe-like big-brown eyes. I called you 'Bambi' in my head for months afterwards..."_

"_...I have a confession to make. I have with me here in Malawi, a small bottle of strawberry-scented shampoo. It's the brand I know you use because I snooped in your bathroom. I hope you'll forgive me. The smell makes me feel like you're nearby instead of a million miles away..."_

"_...Do you remember the night we got really drunk in Rome with Peter and Charlotte and their friends, when we were there for the Italian Job? I woke up during the night, still steaming drunk, to see that you'd fallen asleep on your side, facing away from me. I rubbed your back and you immediately turned over, right onto me, and you said my name. I'm not sure if that was the moment I realised that I loved you, but it was definitely close..."_

"_...I adore you, my darling, and one day I hope to be able to show you. God, I love you so much. I want to be with you all the time. One day, I _will_ show you, prove how much I love you and prove that I can deserve you. See? This is me thinking positive..."_

"_...I imagine what our children would look like frequently. I imagine a little girl with long wavy dark brown hair and green eyes. I imagine a little boy with warm brown eyes and dark auburn hair like mine. I imagine them running round in our garden, riding bikes and playing football. I imagine sitting at the kitchen table decorating cupcakes with them, painting pictures and reading them stories, you right next to me. With you as a mother, our children would be the brightest academically and the most strikingly beautiful in the world..."_

"_...and Malawi has definitely soothed my soul and made me stronger. I promise that if you're not ready for a relationship, I will wait for you. Wherever you are in the world, whatever you are doing, I will be your support network. I will be there for you. You are my life now, and I am ready to fight for you. Everything will work out for the best as long as I'm near you..."_

By the time I had read them all (and some of them twice), I was crying tears of happiness. Something about reading the letters cemented in my mind that Edward was getting better. I slept for twelve hours that night, my mind able to relax now that I knew, even though doctors couldn't or wouldn't give me any guarantees, Edward would be coming home to me.

-cc-

**AN: Thanks for reading! Please review if you feel so inclined. **

**In case you wanted to know what the medical terminology in the text meant, here's a little guide:**

Extradural haemorrhage- bleeding into the brain that occurs between the skull and the outer lining of the brain. It is fatal if not treated quickly.

Splenectomy- removal of the spleen. If the spleen ruptures in trauma, it is often removed because it bleeds so much. People with no spleen usually have to take lifelong antibiotics to protect against certain bacteria.

Compound fracture- an open fracture where the bone is exposed and is therefore at high risk of infection. They need to be fixed and closed as soon as possible.

Femoral shaft- the middle of the femur, the long thigh bone

Reduction and Internal Fixation- a method used by orthopaedic surgeons to close fractures and pin them so that they heal correctly

Inotropic support- medication which improves the strength of the heartbeat and therefore keeps a patient's blood pressure up.

Step-Down- A unit for patients who require a lot of supportive care, but who are well enough to leave the Intensive Care Unit

-cc-


	27. Chapter 26

**AN: Thank you so much to everybody who's reviewed this week! And hello to all my new followers and people who've added me to favourites!**

**Real life is kicking my not-so-little butt so the next post is going to be a couple of weeks, I'm afraid, and I can't commit to a Sunday night like usual. **

**I don't own Twilight. I wish I did! **

**-cc-**

**Chapter 26**

The next day Edward was moved to the Neurosurgery Step-Down Unit and when we came to see him, he was more awake and alert than the day before. He still wasn't saying much but it was clear that he understood every word we said. Emmett had taken a week off work whilst Rosalie borrowed my office at VDI Leeds so she could do some pieces of work but still be nearby. Just like I wouldn't be parted from Edward, she didn't want to return to London without her fiancé.

After two days on Neurosurgery Step-Down, Edward was deemed fit enough to have his last remaining surgery on his jaw. When he returned, the surgeons explained that they had fixed it with a small metal plate and some screws, but that he didn't need to have his jaw wired. I saw Carlisle breathe a sigh of relief. Later he explained that if Edward's jaw had been wired it would make it even harder for him to talk and eat.

When I came to see Edward the day after his surgery, he was sat up and a nurse was holding a cup of pink liquid, which he was sipping through a straw. When he saw me, his eyes lit up and he smiled widely. The nurse didn't say anything but handed me the cup before slipping away.

"Bella!"

"Hello Baby." I leant over to kiss him.

"I've missed you Gorgeous." He said. I looked up sharply. It was the first full sentence I'd heard him say since before the accident.

"Oh, Edward! You're talking so much better! I've missed you so much."

"It's easier for me to form the words now and it hurts much less now my jaw's fixed." He paused for another sip of the pink stuff. "I'm so sorry, my love."

"Sorry for what, Handsome?"

"Putting you through hell. Heidi. Being so drunk."

"It was an accident, Baby. And the Heidi thing- don't even worry about it. I should never have thrown it in your face like that. I should never have questioned your love for me. I love you and I'm so sorry. Words can't express how sorry I am." I replied, pushing the hair back from his forehead.

"But if I hadn't got so drunk..."

"If I hadn't shut you out of our bedroom..."

"But..."

Suddenly emotion overwhelmed Edward. His bottom lip quivered, tears fell from his eyes, making them look greener than ever, and he let out short, quiet sobs.

"Oh Edward!" I held his face in both my hands before bringing my forehead to touch his. I couldn't help it. I started sobbing too. I wanted to throw my arms around him, hold him tight, lie with him, but there were still so many wires and a big tube sticking out of his neck.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry!" He cried.

"No, I'm sorry. That night I was angry and hurt and embarrassed and..."

"Not your fault. Not you. Not that."

"Then who? What? Why?" He didn't say anything. "Edward?" He looked away and tried to shake his head but my hands were still cupping his face.

"Bella, it was the booze." He eventually said. "I shouldn't have drunk so much."

"Why did you drink so much? What upset you so much?"

"Nothing." He was lying.

"Bullshit."

"Bella...I can't..."

"Edward. I nearly lost you. I nearly lost everything that means anything. Please tell me _why!"_

"You aren't going to let this go, are you?" I let go of his face.

"What do you think?" I replied. He sighed and tried to run his hand through this hair but the wires and tubes made it difficult. I did it for him.

There was a knock on the door. It was the nurse.

"Everything OK? Edward, your heart rate is going like the clappers on the monitors." She glanced at us, both with tearstained faces and red eyes. "You need to keep stress to a minimum to have the best chance of recovery."

"Everything's fine Nurse." Edward replied, but he flopped down the bed and I could tell he was exhausted.

"OK." She replied sceptically. "Visiting hours are nearly over by the way." She added pointedly before leaving.

"Edward, I'm going to let you get some rest, OK, Baby?"

"No, don't go! I'm sorry. It's just so difficult to explain."

`"I have to, Handsome. Visiting hours are over. Just answer me one thing." I asked in reply. He nodded. "Do you... did you ..." I had to brace myself for the pain as I said the words. "...walk in front of that van on purpose?"

"No! As long as you love and want me, my life is worth living."

"Edward. I'm not going anywhere. I will love you forever. I'll want you forever. Until my heart stops beating."

"That's all I want in the world, Bella, my love."

I kissed him soundly then, as if to seal in our mutual need and love for each other.

"You need to talk about what drove you to drink so much, what makes you so hard and unforgiving towards yourself. If you can't talk about it with me or your parents, then perhaps you could talk to a professional?"

"I don't know..."

"Your demons and insecurities have dominated your life for fourteen years. You deserve to be happy Ed..." His expression changed from uncertainty to almost looking horrified. "What?"

"You said 'fourteen years.' You know. My mother's been talking."

"Yes."

"How?"

"You told me about it first, remember?" He nodded warily. "Esme and I couldn't sleep. It was when you were still ventilated. I made reference to the motorbike accident and she thought I knew all the details." I told him. "Suddenly so many things made sense."

"D-did she tell you about C-Cambridge?" He croaked.

"Yes. And I told her about how I spent eight years wishing that I'd gone to Leeds and met you then, and enjoyed myself at uni in the process. Because as great an opportunity as Cambridge was, it was constant stress for three years, and I don't think it was worth it."

"Really? You spent eight years wishing you went to Leeds?" I nodded. "Well then I definitely I should have told you myself." He grinned, flinching slightly with the pain from his jaw.

"Maybe you should have told me but it doesn't matter now." I replied. "Do you believe in fate?"

"I don't know. Possibly."

"I don't really, but if I did, I would say that you and me, we were meant to be together, and meant to come together when we did."

"But you don't believe in fate?"

"No. But I believe in us." I kissed him one last time and moved to leave.

"Bella?" I turned back to him. "I'll do it. I'll talk to a professional, a psychiatrist or a therapist or something. But only if you're there too."

"Of course Handsome."

-cc-

Edward's physical health continued to improve but our family and friends became more worried, not less. He was quiet and reflective, pondering everything we had talked about. He became withdrawn, snappy and irritable as he also faced boredom and frustration at not being able to move the way he wanted, go to the toilet the way he wanted and with the appalling soft mushy diet they made him eat because of his broken jaw.

I knew that the other reason for his behaviour was because he was nervous about speaking to the psychiatrist. Dr Godfrey had been by to introduce himself and asked a few basic questions but explained that Edward needed to be physically stronger to cope with the emotional and mental strain of a full interview. Whilst Edward was doing very well, he still got tired very easily, and on several occasions (including during Dr Godfrey's visit) he had fallen asleep mid-conversation.

Ten days after the accident, Edward was moved to the less intensive environment of a general surgical ward. The tubes in his neck had been taken out and he only had one small drip in the back of his hand. He was able to move more easily and was less tired, so his demeanour brightened considerably. He still got frustrated, especially with the physiotherapy. Edward was used to always moving; even when he was sat at his desk he would tap his foot or twirl a pen amongst his fingers. But ten days doing nothing had stiffened and weakened his muscles so that even simple movements and exercises were painful. He hated having to use crutches to get around but couldn't walk without them.

Despite this, Edward was determined to get out of hospital as soon as possible. Emmett and Rosalie had had to return to London but were coming up at the weekend, as was Carlisle, who had had to return to Worcestershire and his patients. Edward wanted to be home in time for their arrival. Esme had stayed with me throughout, and I was very grateful to have her with me. Charlie had gone to Rome to see Peter, Charlotte, and Gianna and baby Anthony, whilst Renee had come to stay with me. She and Esme got on very well and between them they made sure that I ate, got enough sleep and helped me vent my stress. There were several times when Edward was having a bad day, that I absorbed his distress and ended up crying or shouting at Renee and Esme. They were very understanding.

I had completely forgotten about work during the darkest times of Edward's illness, but now that he was improving, I was starting to do small pieces of consulting and review from home. Jenks, Paul and the team working on the packaging companies deal were still wading through accounts and emails to see if my idea that someone was deliberately sabotaging the deal. So far they had found a few links but nothing concrete. Reviewing their progress, I saw several pieces of information that the team had either not yet got round to investigating or had overlooked, that could be important. I didn't have time to dwell however, as today was Edward's meeting with Dr Godfrey.

Edward was noticeably nervous when Dr Godfrey came in. We were sat in a quiet room just off the main ward, so that we would not be disturbed.

"Good morning Edward, Bella. It's nice to meet you again." Dr Godfrey greeted us politely before sitting in the chair opposite the sofa we were on. He was in his early 40s, of average height and slim build, with close-cropped dark hair. He was dressed quite casually compared to most doctors on the ward, in a light blue short sleeved shirt and grey trousers with no tie.

"Good morning, Dr Godfrey." Edward replied, his voice calm but his hand trembling slightly. I held onto him and he glanced at me gratefully.

"I sense that you're quite anxious about our meeting. May I ask why?" Edward hesitated a minute.

"Umm...I guess I don't know what to expect. And I feel really vulnerable, preparing to tell a complete stranger everything about me."

"Well, I hope that by the end of this interview, you'll feel more relaxed and that we'll be able to come up with a plan to help you with some of your problems."

"Thank you."

"So, tell me about the day of the accident." He began. Edward nodded.

"The day had started really well. Bella and I have just moved into our new house and all our furniture had just arrived. I had been having a really good day at work. I was looking forward to a party at our friends' house that night. I had finished all my work for the day early and was just getting ready to leave when I got a text message. It was from a number I didn't recognise and it contained a picture..."

Edward clutched for my hand and looked at me.

"Edward? Baby are you OK?" I asked, concerned.

"Yeah, it's just hard to remember how awful I felt when I saw it. It was the picture of me and Heidi taken earlier in the week, the one you showed me when we argued later that night."

"Oh." _Kate sent the picture to Edward too? But why from a different number?_

"Sorry, who is Heidi?" Dr Godfrey asked.

"My ex. I bumped into her on Tuesday when I was in London and we had coffee. She asked for another chance and when I told her about Bella, she became upset. I put my arm around her while she was crying and someone took a photo and sent it to me with the text 'you don't deserve Bella.' I became really stressed by it, very panicky and the moment I came home, I had to pour myself two fingers of Scotch to deal with my anxiety. That was the start of the drinking that night. Whenever the alcohol started to wear off, I felt anxious again, so I kept drinking. Whatever I could get my hands on."

"Why did that upset you so much?"

"Because I _don't_ deserve Bella."

"Why? She obviously loves you as you love her." Edward lifted our joined hands and kissed mine.

"Well I guess that's what I need to talk to you about."

Edward explained about his worries, his insecurities and the past incidents and circumstances that had led to them. He talked about the motorcycle accident, about not getting into Cambridge, the high expectations he put on himself, what it was like growing up as an only child of two parents who were so in love and so in tune with each other, and of how lonely he felt without the siblings he was supposed to have had, but who nature and circumstance had denied his family.

"So what happened after Bella went to bed?" Dr Godfrey asked, bringing the conversation back to the day of the accident.

"I was really upset. I remember crying and shaking, thinking that I'd lost her forever." Edward turned to me. "I thought that was the end of the line for us. I realise now that it was the alcohol bringing my worst fear to the surface." Edward turned to me, his green eyes baleful, full of woe.

"Your worst fear?" I asked.

"Losing you. Losing our future together."

"Edward, I'd been drinking myself and my temper flared. You never lost me."

"I know that now, but at the time, the only thought I had was that you'd never want me again. I went to get some more Scotch and there were only a couple of fingers left. I finished the bottle and in my drunken wisdom, I decided to get some more from the supermarket. I had enough sense to know that I shouldn't drive, so instead I just walked out the front door, and kept walking in what I thought was the direction of the supermarket, and that's the last thing I remember."

"Hmmm..." Dr Godfrey stroked his chin, clearly deep in thought. "Edward, how much alcohol do you think you drank that night? From the first drink when you returned from work to the last drink of Scotch before the accident?"

Edward thought about it for a minute or two.

"I guess I must have had six or seven generous doubles of Scotch, at least a bottle and a half of champagne, three or four strong cocktails, a couple of shots of tequila and a couple of shots of Jagermeister. At least that's what I remember. It was probably more."

"Jesus..." I whispered under my breath. I knew he'd had a lot to drink that night, but I didn't realise it was that much.

"I know." Edward said, gripping my hand and breathing deeply. "It makes me feel physically sick thinking about how much I put away that night."

"So that's not a normal amount for you?"

"No!" Edward and I both chorused.

"Edward has always had a much higher tolerance for alcohol than most. At law school he was kind of famous for it. He could even drink his best friend Emmett, who's 6 foot 5 and 275 pounds of solid muscle, under the table. But that's far more than he's ever drunk in one night. To the best of my knowledge."

"Far, far more." Edward agreed. "I've drunk alcohol regularly since I was eighteen. At least three or four times per week and more recently, it's been daily."

"How often do you drink alcohol in an average week?" Dr Godfrey asked. "Both of you?"

"I guess we have a couple of glasses of wine most nights, maybe a bottle at the weekend?" I ventured.

"Yes, but if I'm feeling stressed or wound up, I sometimes have a Scotch before bed as well." Edward admitted. "Bella doesn't always know about that." He added sheepishly.

"Has that been happening more often recently?"

Edward nodded.

"Recently I've been plagued by these really intrusive worries. I constantly worry that Bella will come to her senses and leave me. I've been struggling to sleep and the Scotch helps, but then I feel more tired in the morning."

"Hmmm..." Dr Godfrey was silent for a moment. "Do you think alcohol helps you solve problems or is it more of a problem in itself?"

"Before the accident I would have denied that it was a problem at all but I've had a lot of time to think since being in hospital. Leave alone the fact that this accident would never have happened if I hadn't drunk myself into oblivion, there have been so many incidents where alcohol has clouded my judgement and made me make stupid decisions."

"Such as...?"

"The three girlfriends I had before Bella. I got together with all of them after significant drinking sessions. All three of them were mistakes, Heidi perhaps most of all. I rejected Bella twice because of alcohol, because I got blue and dwelled on those feelings of not deserving her and being scared of both rejection and failure."

"Twice?" I asked.

"That time after my birthday party in London? We'd been to Galvin at Windows and you and I were getting on really well?"

"You saw Jessica and bolted." I remembered. "Jessica was Edward's girlfriend before Heidi." I added for Dr Godfrey's benefit.

"Yeah. If I hadn't drunk so much that night, I probably would have found it within me to not let seeing Jessica again bother me."

"And the other time?" I pressed further.

"Paris." He mumbled. "If I hadn't drunk so much, I wouldn't have slept with you and then run in the morning when you confessed your feelings for me."

"But Edward, Baby, if Paris hadn't happened, we might never have gotten together. You're always so hard on yourself."

"Yes, but I didn't have to drown my sorrows in Paris. You were always one of my closest friends. I could have just come to you and told you that my life was in the toilet and that I was wretchedly in love with you without the booze, sexing you in my sleep, the God-awful hangover and the leaving you in a hotel room in tears." He told me. "I don't know how you ever forgave me."

"Edward, there was nothing to forgive. I was never angry with you. I told you, I was angry with myself. I was never brave enough to tell you how I felt before then. I never believed that someone like you could ever be interested in little, boring, bookish, plain old me and dismissed any attention you gave me as just affection between friends."

"Boring? Bookish? Plain? Bella, my darling, you are..." he pursed his lips together and gripped my hand even tighter. "...everything. You are everything to me. The most beautiful girl in the world and the brightest star I ever saw. I felt my heart and mind sing for the first time when I met you." Our eyes met and, completely ignoring the presence of the doctor in the room, our lips met for a heartfelt kiss.

"Uh-hm. May I make an observation?" Dr Godfrey said quietly as we broke apart. I felt my cheeks stain and burn with blush.

"Of course, Doctor." Edward said.

"Success seems to sit very uneasily with you, Edward. It appears that you dwell on past mistakes, to the point where you're quite dismissive of your present accomplishments and achievements. You seem to have a need to make yourself suffer, to punish yourself, even when the things you want most in the world are right in front of you. I suspect that as you've gotten older, and, like everyone, made mistakes along your way, you've also become less and less tolerant of them, and made yourself work harder than necessary for the things that should be easy for you to achieve."

"Yes. That's right!" Edward exclaimed. "Why do I do that?"

"I think there are many reasons- a collision of events in your early childhood through to adolescence, personality traits and genes. There's no simple answer. If you're keen to explore it further, I can refer you to a psychotherapist. I really do think that you would benefit from it, to discuss your anxieties and help you overcome them."

"What about the alcohol?"

"Your alcohol use has been excessive and I think that you've used it as a crutch to cope with your anxieties. You don't have an alcohol dependence problem, otherwise you'd have experienced withdrawal symptoms and seizures when you were in ICU, and prior to the accident you were still going to work, socialising, eating well and playing football. But you were on that slippery slope." He explained.

"I agree. It was getting to the point where I was ending the work-day thinking first and foremost about a drink."

"You need to decide whether you want alcohol to continue to have a part in your life when you leave hospital. You're going to be physically frail for a while after leaving hospital and the jaw surgery means you're going to struggle to keep weight on. Alcohol will hinder that further. Personally I'd recommend you try to be completely abstinent for at least a year, perhaps permanently."

"Edward, do you think that's something you could get on board with?" I asked.

"I think so. The thought of drinking and ever going through this again, or putting you through this again, makes me feel sick. But we do so much socialising that involves alcohol, Gorgeous, and I worry about temptation."

"We can help you with your motivation and help you handle those difficult situations." Dr Godfrey stated.

"Then yes. I can!" Edward exclaimed. In that second, I made a decision too.

"And I'm going to be with you every step of the way, because I'm going to become teetotal too." I told them both.

"Bella, my love. You don't have to do that just because I'm doing it."

"I know, Baby. But I want to. I might not have been drinking alcohol as much as you have been but I drink far more than I'm supposed to and we don't need alcohol in our lives."

"I love you so much, my darling." Edward replied. I bit my lip involuntarily and his eyes swept down my body briefly before making contact with mine. A surge of arousal sent shivers through me and I could tell he felt similarly. He inched closer to me so that our knees brushed and moved our clasped hands to his lap.

Dr Godfrey brought the interview to a close and explained that Edward would get an appointment with a psychotherapist in a couple of weeks' time. He also gave us his contact details in case we had any questions, before leaving us in the quiet room.

The moment the door closed, Edward's lips were on mine. His arms came around me as he kissed me fervently, bringing me flush against his chest.

"God...missed you...missed this..." He mumbled under his breath in between kisses. "I want to come home."

"Soon, Handsome. Soon."

"Mmm..." He started kissing my neck and his hand moved down my back and under my jeans towards my ass.

"Edward..." I started to protest. A nurse could walk in any moment.

"I know...just one more minute..." He moved his lips back to my lips and his hand moved lower until he was cupping my ass and squeezing. New waves of desire flooded me and suddenly I couldn't care less about any potential audience.

"Mmm..."

Edward hesitantly broke away after a few more seconds.

"Damn, it was hard to stop. Now that my horniness has returned I'm going to be even more of a pain to be around until I get to go home and ravage you!" Edward laughed, then winced with pain and rubbed his jaw.

"I don't know whether ravaging me is going to happen for a while, Baby. Not until you're stronger."

"The hell it won't! Things are falling back into place, Bella. I feel like I'm becoming myself again. I want to get out of here, eat tasty homemade mush instead of yucky hospital mush, go back to work, sort my confidence and anxiety issues out and most of all I want to make love to my future wife in our bed."

"And you will, Edward. Home is not too far away."

He nodded, but was clearly still frustrated. He buried his head in my neck and I just held him there, occasionally kissing the top of his head.

"Hey, Bella?" He asked after a minute or two, raising his head slowly. "Do you know who sent you that picture? The one of me and Heidi?"

"Yes. I don't know why she sent it to you from an unknown number."

"She? Who, Gorgeous? Who sent it?"

"Kate, Baby. It was Kate. She sent it to me saying that she would want to know if she was being cheated on."

"I don't have her number in my new iPhone. That's why it was unknown." He said. You know I didn't cheat right? I just want to clarify that, my love. It was just an arm around her shoulder while she cried. I knew I shouldn't have done it but..."

"Edward it's done and I wasn't angry with you about that. I was angry that night because of the double standard after you got mad with me about that young guy helping me. And I'm over that. I won't ever throw it back in your face. I promise."

"I know you wouldn't, Bella. You don't hold grudges."

"Unlike Kate, although I don't know what she's holding a grudge for."

"The bitch!" He exclaimed, uncharacteristically. "Sorry! I don't want to think about her. I'm sure we'll have to face her at some point but right now I just want to get on with our lives and be happy with you."

"I couldn't agree more Handsome."

-cc-

The next afternoon, I was visiting Edward when there was a knock at the door. Professor Gerandy's face appeared at the window. I beckoned him to come in and he asked his entourage to wait outside.

"Edward, it's great to see you looking so much better. You may not remember me from the last time I visited as you were still very unwell. I'm Professor Gerandy. My team say you're progressing remarkably well."

Edward clasped Professor Gerandy's hand in both of his.

"Thank you, sir. Thank you so much! I will be eternally grateful to you and all the other doctors for saving my life. And the fact that you're one of my father's friends makes it all the better."

"You're welcome. I didn't actually realise until after I'd operated, when I saw your medical notes, that you were Carlisle's son. I wish it hadn't have taken your injury for us to reconnect properly."

"Well you're back in touch now and my father's delighted."

"Absolutely. He's really appreciated your support these past couple of weeks." I added, coming up to stand next to Edward who was sat in a reclining chair in his room. He grinned up at me as I placed my hand on his shoulder. Professor Gerandy chuckled.

"Like father, like son." He said quietly. Edward laughed too and I got the impression I was missing something.

"Sorry?" I asked.

"My father told me that Professor Gerandy nicknamed him 'Moony Face' because he used to daydream in lectures about my mother. Dad says I make the same face when I'm thinking about you."

"You definitely do! The Cullen Moony Face lives long and prospers!" I couldn't help but laugh too. "Now, I hear from the nurses that you're driving them crazy because you want to go home."

"Absolutely yes. I'm desperate! Any chance?"

"How does tomorrow afternoon sound?"

"Not as good as today but better than next week." Edward replied but he was smiling.

"We need to get your discharge papers, medication and follow-up appointments sorted out, which will take some time. But I'm really happy with your progress, Edward. You'll still be home for the weekend."

"Thank you. I can't wait!"

-cc-

**Thanks for reading. Please consider leaving me a review. I need all the love I can get to get me through the next few weeks!**


	28. Chapter 27

**AN: Hi everyone! I've had a crazy two weeks of heavy stuff so I'm really pleased to be back. In truth the heavy isn't over yet but I've been able to take a hiatus for the weekend. Thank you so much for all your support and good wishes.**

**We're on the home strait with this story. It will be thirty-one chapters, including the Kate POV outtake and the epilogue. Today, I'm posting two chapters here and two chapters of the EPOV companion piece 'High Stays the Tide' including another surprise POV. **

**I hope you enjoy them. Let me know what you think! I love love LOVE hearing your feedback. **

**I don't own Twilight. I wish I did. I am fortunate enough, however to own this story, even if it's not going to make me a millionaire. **

**-cc-**

**Chapter 27**

Edward came home the next afternoon, two weeks after the accident, which just happened to be his birthday. He was greeted by a house full of people. Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, Rosalie, Emmett's parents Chris and Peggy, Renee, Alice, Jasper and Jackson, Seth and Embry, Ben, Angela and their twins Alex and Jared were all there. Siobhan and Liam also came by, albeit briefly. Alice, Renee and Esme had organised it as a surprise party.

Edward was delighted to see everyone and spend time with them. He was ecstatic to be presented with homemade soup and risotto instead of the disgusting hospital pulpy stuff. He adored being able to sleep in our comfy giant king-sized bed. He did get frustrated at having to move at a snail's pace because of his unwieldy crutches, especially when going up and down the stairs, and he hated the fact that he got tired very easily. He slept from 9pm until 9am, which meant he was asleep long before I could get away from our guests to join him in bed.

On Sunday evening after an early dinner, two days after Edward came home, our guests left us, including Esme, who had been a constant presence throughout Edward's time in hospital.

"Are you sure you don't need me to stay, Sweetie?" She asked tearfully at the front door. "I can delegate the music festival to..."

"Mum, it's the biggest event of your working year. You know you have to be there." Edward replied. "I need to get back to some semblance of normal and as much as I love you, it's not normal for you to be here at my house all the time." He leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

"You're right." Esme sighed. She hugged Edward and me one last time before taking Carlisle's arm and walking towards their Mercedes.

After we waved them off, Edward closed our front door.

"Bella?" I turned to face him and he nudged my shoulder so that I took a step back against the closed door.

"Edward?" I looked into his eyes and gasped at the intensity of his stare. He looked...hungry. Intense. "You OK?"

"We're all alone, Gorgeous one. For the first time in weeks." He caressed the side of my face. I turned into his palm and kissed it. "My love, I need you. Please." He leaned forward to kiss me. His lips gently brushed mine. _Ignition. _That simple touch was like taking a match to paper. I probed my tongue past his lips and sought out his. His resultant moan sent shivers through me and brought me out in goose bumps.

"I don't want to hurt you." I whispered when we finally broke away for air. I glanced down at his leg. I took in his huge red scar peeking out of his shorts and all the bruises, and the smaller scars on his arms from shrapnel and grit on the road.

"You won't, my darling Bella. I spoke to Dad and the Prof..." he whispered, pausing to run his hand from my face into my hair and to kiss my ear. "...as long as we take it slow..." his kisses drifted along my jaw and back towards my ear. "...and I don't take any weight onto my leg..." His lips found my neck. "...I'll be OK..."

Edward was turning me into a puddle of goo. Every single nerve in my body was aflame with anticipation, waiting for more of his touch. My core throbbed, wanting to feel him inside me. He said he needed me. Well, I needed him too. So much.

I ran my hand down his free arm and took his hand away from my face. For a moment he looked hurt and confused, but smiled broadly when I linked my hands with his and started to guide him towards our bedroom. Silently, except for the soft _thud thud_ of Edward's crutches on the stairs, we made our way there.

I led him to the bed and had him lie on his back.

"If you're in pain at all, Edward, don't suffer, OK. Just say and we'll adjust."

"OK, Bella love." He murmured, never taking his lust-filled eyes off me. He swallowed hard before adding, "Now... strip."

I bit my lip as I slowly undid the button fly of my short denim skirt and let it drop to the floor. I crossed my arms as I took hold of the hem of my red and white striped t-shirt and pulled it over my head. My underwear was nothing special- black briefs and a plain black t-shirt bra- but Edward gasped as I revealed them. My nipples tightened at seeing and hearing his reaction.

"You like, Baby?"

"Yeah..."

"Take off your t-shirt, Handsome."

He hesitated a moment and uncertainty crossed his handsome face.

"OK." He said eventually.

Edward slowly pulled his navy t-shirt off and threw it to one side of the bed. He looked down at his chest and abdomen. He had lost weight so his muscles were smaller and less defined. His abdomen was still bruised and held several scars from his spleen surgery. He crossed his arms over himself.

"Don't, Edward. Don't hide from me."

"But I look disgusting, all skinny, bruised and scarred." He whispered, green eyes full of worry.

I quickly removed my bra and panties, moved to lie next to him on his good side and draped my leg over his uninjured one.

"You're the most handsome man in the world, and you're all mine. Even if you looked like the Elephant Man, I'd love you forever." I told him, peppering the right side of his face with kisses. "Besides, your muscles will return, the bruises will fade and the scars..." I began to kiss down his neck and along his collarbone. "...will be sexy as hell."

"Really? You're not just saying that?"

"Really and truly." I stopped my kisses to look up at his face. I slid up a little so I could run my hands into his hair. "And all that metal inside you? You're my Bionic Man!"

Edward guffawed.

"Bionic Man?"

"Yeah! My very brave, very sexy, Bionic Man." I told him. "I love you so much, Baby. I'm so glad to have you back where you belong."

He replied by bringing his arms around me and pressing me against his chest, and then kissing me passionately, his tongue exploring every corner of my mouth. One of his arms drifted down my back and cupped my bum. When he finally let my mouth go, I rose up a little and began to explore his chest with my hands and mouth, taking extra time to suck and flick his nipples.

"Gah! So hot!" He cried, squeezing my ass further. "Bella, straddle me."

"Sure?" He nodded with purpose.

Before I did as he asked, I carefully pulled off his khaki shorts and boxers to reveal his thick, long and hard member. The tip was glistening with moisture. I kissed it softly before straddling him, taking care not to put any of my weight on his bad leg. He reached up and gently squeezed my breasts before letting me continue my exploration of his chest and abdomen. Before too long I felt his hand in my hair. I leaned forward to kiss his chin and lips. His other hand snuck under me and stroked my slit softly.

"Mmm, you're so wet already."

"I missed you too. Missed this."

"Oh Bella..." He nipped at my bottom lip. "I want to taste you. Do you think you could...sit on my face?"

Fresh arousal flooded me as I thought of him riding his mouth as he licked and sucked me to orgasm. We had done this a few times before and both loved it.

"Yes."

Edward beamed back at me and scooted down the bed to receive me. I crawled up and lowered myself onto his waiting mouth, bracing myself by holding onto the headboard.

His tongue quickly took a swipe up and down my lower lips before delving deeper and circling my clitoris.

"Mmm."

"Holy shit!" I cried, as a sharp spike of pleasure hit me. Edward continued stroking his tongue around and around my clit before suddenly flattening his tongue against it, occasionally looking up at me with his bright green eyes to make sure I was OK. I tried to arch and buck away from such overwhelming delight but Edward's hands had come to rest on my hips and now gripped me tightly so I couldn't move. I was not going to last long at this rate. I glanced down at my beloved's face. I couldn't see his mouth but the corner of his eyes were lifted, suggesting that he was smiling.

I gave in to the intense joy shooting through me and rode Edward's face, unable to contain my cries of pleasure. It didn't take long until I was extolling Edward and his skills as my release came forth, so blindingly good.

"That was amazing, Gorgeous!" Edward exclaimed as I shifted back from his face so I was straddling his hips once more. "You taste so divine! You look so hot when you come."

I leant forward to kiss him, not caring about the presence of my juices all over his face.

"Wow. So fucking wow, Edward!" I wriggled back against his throbbing hard cock and he groaned. "Your turn, Baby?"

"Take me inside you, love."

I shifted my hips back and hovered over him before guiding him inside me slowly. He lifted his hips to adjust and push deeper and I rocked up and down, enjoying the stretch and fill of him inside my pussy.

"OK?" I checked.

"So much more than OK, my darling." He cried. "Fuck!" He added as I grinded down on him. I sped up my movements as he kept his hands moving all over my torso.

We continued moving in unison, never losing our eye contact. I leant forward to run my lips over his shoulders, his nipples, his neck and finally his lips. His hands finally settled- one on my hip and one on my breast. Each stroke of his cock inside me filled me a little further, stretched me a little more and sent me closer to another monumental release. _Edward is back. My future husband is home. _

"Oh, Edward..." I breathed into his ear. "I missed you so much. I can't believe you're really back."

"I'm back, my love, and I'm never leaving you again." He whispered.

_I wish I was your wife already._

"Huh?" Edward said.

"What?"

"You wish you were my wife already?"

"Oops. I didn't mean to say that out loud." I tried to raise myself back up to a sitting position but Edward's arms wrapped around me so my body was touching his; my face was inches from mine.

"No?"

I continued moving my hips up and down because despite the conversation I'd unwittingly initiated, I was supremely close to coming all over his cock.

"No. But it is how I feel." I whispered shyly.

"It's how I feel too, Gorgeous. I'd marry you now, if I could. My sexy, smart, beautiful Bella."

I let go of the coil that was winding inside me as he said those words, and my orgasm shattered through me, leaving me feeling like jelly.

"Whoa..."

"God, seeing you come is so sexy." Edward said as he moved one arm from my waist and kissed the side of my mouth and my chin. "I need you to keep moving for me, love, please?"

"OK. Let me sit up." He let me go and I moved upright before setting a rapid pace with my hips, determined to give him the mother of all orgasms.

"Jesus, that's it, Gorgeous. That's it!" He exclaimed, moving his hips up and down as well. I leaned back and found his balls, fondling them to increase his pleasure. "OH HOLY FUCK! YES!" He yelled as I felt him pulse and throb through his release inside me.

I climbed off him and draped myself half on the bed, half on him over his good side.

"Thank you Handsome."

"Thank _you, _Gorgeous." He laughed before taking my lips between his and kissing me softly, several times. We lay in each other's arms silently for a while before I felt the need to talk again.

"I meant it, you know," I whispered, "about being your wife. I don't want to wait anymore."

"Me neither, my darling." He brushed the hair away from my face. "I had been meaning to talk to you about setting a date for the past few weeks but never found an opportunity."

"Did you have one in mind?"

"Sooner rather than later. Ideally before Christmas, but other than that, no. You?"

"Ditto, Baby." Edward turned slightly onto his side so that he could look at me better.

"You said before that you wanted something small and low-key. Just family and close friends. That still the case?"

"Yes. God, even more so."

"Hmm." Edward's brow crinkled. He pouted and ran his hand through his hair. A sure sign that he was forming an idea.

"What?"

"I want to marry you as soon as possible, Bella. I know you're not fussed about the little details and neither am I but our families would be devastated if we just ran off to the registry office. Nevertheless I think we could get married within the next couple of months."

"You want to get married in two months?"

"I know it sounds crazy but I have an idea..."

"It does sound crazy, but I'm listening."

"How would you feel about getting married in Rome?"

"Rome?"

Edward waited for me to consider the idea.

Rome. Where we had spent so many happy times. Where we had gotten engaged. A place so dear to the Swans, but also now to Edward, Esme and Carlisle.

The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. A simple wedding in Rome. Just us, our families and our closest friends followed by dinner at our favourite seafood restaurant.

"Bella?"

"I love the idea Baby." I told him what I envisioned.

"Perfect." He sighed, gathering me into his arms once more. "Absolutely perfect, soon-to-be-Mrs Cullen."

-cc-

Over the course of the next week, Edward worked hard to continue his recovery. We hired a personal trainer and physiotherapist, Colin Brown, to help Edward build up his leg and thigh muscles and improve his stamina. After I tripped in front of him, Colin suggested that he could help me too, by working on my balance and core stability, so both of us signed up to three sessions a week.

Since the night we decided to get married in Rome, our sex life had exploded. We could not keep our hands off each other. We had talked a little about why we seemed so desperate with need at times and concluded it was because of how close we had come to losing the other. Dr Godfrey had sent Edward an appointment to see a psychotherapist, Dr Hammond, and his first session was scheduled for the following week. Edward intended to discuss his insecurities and the accident with her first and foremost.

Edward was adamant that he was going back to work as soon as possible. If he had his way he would have gone back the Monday after his discharge. I wanted him to have at least two weeks at home recovering further before going back part time. Carlisle and Esme backed me up but Edward wasn't having any of it. Usually he was pretty easy going, but just occasionally he was more stubborn than me. Eventually we compromised. He would go back after a week, and he would go back full time, but he would work from home at least two days a week. I was also returning to work at the same time, and would try to work from home on at least one of the days Edward was.

On the Sunday afternoon before our return to work, I was doing little chores like laundry and making sandwiches for packed lunches whilst Edward took a nap when the doorbell rang. I was expecting it to be Alice. Before Edward's accident she often popped round for tea and a chat, or to borrow some item of kitchenware for her latest experiment, and I had no reason to expect her to do differently now.

"Hey Alice..." I began as I opened the front door, but it wasn't Alice. "Garrett!" I exclaimed.

"Hi Bella. Sorry to drop round without calling." He said. "I hope it's not a bad time."

Garrett looked like shit. He had several days' worth of stubble, his hair was lank, his eyes were red-rimmed and dark-circled, and he looked like he needed a good bath and feeding. He carried with him a rucksack and a laptop bag.

"No, you're always welcome. Come in. Come in." I gestured with my hands and he hesitantly stepped inside and then followed me through to the kitchen. "Let me make you some tea. You like lots of sugar and milk, right?" Garrett nodded but then sat there in silence, watching me make his drink.

"Rosalie told me that Edward's home from the hospital. M-may I see him?"

"Of course. He's taking a nap right now but he'll be up very soon."

"Great." He replied, but without feeling.

"Garrett, are you all right?" I asked inanely. _Of course he's not all right, He looks a fucking wreck._ "Where are Kate and Carter?" Garrett's head swivelled to look at me, his expression pained.

"Bella, Kate...um..." Tears started rolling down his face. "I'm sorry, I need to see Edward first. Please?"

"Sure." I put the mug of tea and some homemade chocolate shortbread in front of him. "I'll go see if he's up."

I dashed up the stairs to our bedroom. Edward was still asleep. I perched on the bed next to him and softly stroked his hair.

"Bella." He murmured. His eyes floated open and then blinked a few times before looking at me and smiling. "Hey, Gorgeous." He immediately grabbed me about the waist and pulled me forward into his arms before kissing me soundly.

"Edward..." his hands drifted towards my ass and his lips found my neck. For a split second I forgot about Garrett sitting distraught in our kitchen as a wave of desire came over me. "No, no, stop, stop!" I pulled away before we got carried away.

"What's wrong love?" He asked urgently, sitting up. "What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything Baby. It's just that Garrett's sitting downstairs asking to see you, looking broken. He cried when I asked where Kate was and begged to see you." Relief crossed his face.

"Oh. OK. Shit. I'll just go to the loo and be down in a minute." He kissed me once again and slowly swung himself out of bed. I headed downstairs and told Garrett.

"Thank you Bella."

Edward emerged a minute later as he said. Garrett took one look at Edward's thinner, bruised form, propped up with the crutches, and burst into tears.

"Garrett...what...?" Edward broke off midsentence as Garrett strode over and gave him a hug.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know what she did." Garrett was vibrating with his distress, his breath coming out in gasps. Edward's green eyes widened with his confusion, silently asking me what to do. I shrugged.

"Garrett, what's going on? What do you mean?" I stepped up to them and gently pried Garrett away. Edward and I escorted him to the vintage brown leather sofa in the far corner of our large kitchen.

"Kate. She tried to split you two up. Bella, she sent you a photo of Edward with his arm around Heidi, didn't she?" I nodded. "And she sent it to you too, right?" he added, turning to Edward who also nodded. "She wanted to hurt you both. She knew that you were letting Heidi down gently that day and yet she told Bella that you had cheated, and then played on your insecurities Edward. She was the reason you got wasted that night. If she hadn't done that..." Garrett's sobs started anew as he gestured to Edward's injuries.

"H-how do you know?"

"I bumped into Rosalie at work. She told me what happened. I went home and confronted Kate, who spewed this ridiculous vitriol about how you both were the reason she didn't get a VDI sponsorship and ruined her life."

"What did she mean? Neither of us ever did anything to prevent her from getting a sponsorship. I didn't even know she'd applied." I asked.

"She wasn't especially forthcoming for the reasons. She said that she'd heard you talking about her interview and knew she'd never match your achievements. She said that Edward ignored then snubbed her and that those two events meant she had every right to keep you apart for so many years as payback and was pissed that you got together despite her efforts."

"She kept us apart deliberately?"

"She wouldn't go into details, but yes. She saw all her actions as justifiable revenge."

I had to blink back tears. I had thought Kate was our friend. _Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Seems Kate's quite the expert._

"What happened next?" Edward asked.

"I walked out, taking Carter with me. I haven't been home since. I took some time off work and came to stay with my parents in Nottingham." He told us. "I don't know what to do. I thought I loved her, but I don't recognise her anymore. She used to be this energetic, lively, passionate person but she changed. Clothes, going out for lunch and designer baby gear for Carter are all she can muster any interest for."

"How is Carter?" Edward asked. "When I saw you in London, you were seeing a paediatrician about him." Garrett's eyes lit up at the mention of his son.

"He's better. He's been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and since the doctor put him on nutritional supplements and showed us how to clear his lungs using physiotherapy, he's gaining weight and his breathing is easier."

"How has Kate handled him being diagnosed?"

"Not well, not well at all. She blamed me at first until the doctor pointed out that the gene comes from both parents." He rubbed his face. He really needed some sleep. "Then she kept palming him off on her parents. She could barely look at him. He kept screaming for her and she practically ignored him."

"Does she know you've got him?" I checked.

"Yes. She watched me leave. She sat there impassively whilst I gathered his things. I asked her to show some emotion, told her that I was willing to work on our relationship if she came here with me to apologise to you guys and acknowledge that she was wrong, but she said no."

"Garrett, we don't want to be the reason for your marriage breaking up."

"You're not, Bella. What she did to you guys was the icing on the cake. Things have been going down the pan for a long time. I just needed to see that you were both OK after what she did."

"We are, thankfully. I'm feeling better every day and Bella and I have set the date for our wedding. August 13th in Rome."

"That's great guys." Garrett replied but the heartbreak over his own relationship was plain to see.

"Kate's text might have been the trigger for me drinking so much more than I usually do, but she didn't drive the van that knocked me over. " Edward continued. "She didn't make me cross a road drunkenly in the middle of the night." The thing is, Garrett..." He clutched my hand. "...I-I have a drinking problem."

"What?"

"I've been drinking more over the past few months, and it got to the point where I was drinking several Scotch whiskeys a night, always thinking about my next drink. It was only a matter of time before I did something really stupid."

"Jesus Edward! I had no idea!"

"Neither did we, until the accident. Needless to say, I've decided to become teetotal."

"So have I. My drinking habits weren't that healthy either and we've decided that we don't need it in our life." I added. "We're back on track."

"So what's next for you?" Edward asked Garrett.

"I've got a meeting on Thursday with Liam Ireland to discuss the job offer he made me a few months ago. He's still interested in having me work for the Industry Division. If he is, then I'm going to ask if he'll let me start earlier than January. Until then, I'm going to spend time with Carter and talk to a family lawyer. If it comes to divorce, then I'm petitioning for full custody. My parents are prepared to move to Leeds to help out with childcare if Liam takes me on board."

"What about if you manage to work things out with Kate?" I wondered. "Would you stay in London?"

"No. Not if Liam offers me a job. It could be years before Eleazar promotes me. Liam was offering a six-figure salary and numerous benefits when he made me the offer before. Leeds has an award-winning cystic fibrosis centre. My father's from Yorkshire. I always wanted to move this way but didn't for Kate's sake. Now she needs to compromise in order for things to work out for us."

"I'm so sorry it's come to this, Garrett. You know that if we can help in any way..."

"Thanks Edward. Just seeing you has helped enormously. You might get the odd phone call when the stress gets to me, and if Liam does take me on, then I might need your help getting into life in Leeds."

"Well, you know where we are and feel free to visit anytime."

"You guys are great. I'm so sorr..."

"Garrett, there's no need to keep apologising. You didn't do anything wrong." I told him. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"I'd love to but I need to get back to Carter."

"Another time then."

"Of course." He drained his tea and got up.

We showed him out and waved him goodbye. After we closed the door, Edward pulled me into his arms. I gave way to the tears that had been bubbling under the surface and cried into his shoulder.

"Shh...shhh...Bella, it's OK."

"She deliberately kept us apart, Edward. It was one thing for her idle gossip to prevent us getting together but quite another for her to do it intentionally."

"I know love, but we're together now. We're seven weeks away from being married, Gorgeous. And she can't break us. Nothing can ever break our love."

-cc-

**AN: Keep reading, there's another chapter tonight! **


	29. Chapter 28

**AN: Hi everyone, how are you? I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! **

**This is the second of two chapters I'm posting tonight. A lot happens in this one! I hope you like it! **

**I don't own Twilight. I wish I did, but for now I'm content with writing stories like these.**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 28**

"Bella, I swear to God, I'm gonna kill that crazy pixie!" Angela.

"I second that! Right now I want Alice's head on a stick!" Charlotte.

"Bella, she wants me to wear pink! Fucking pink! I don't care if it's my 'perfect' colour!" Rosalie.

"Don't listen to them, Bella! All I did was make a few suggestions. You want your wedding to be perfect don't you?" Alice.

"Rosalie, what's wrong with pink, dear? It's a beautiful colour." Renee.

"Girls, there's no need to squabble." Esme.

My head was throbbing and I felt sick. I hated that everyone was fussing and stressing because of me. I stood up and walked out of the living room of my Rome apartment to the bathroom, ignoring the chatter of my three closest friends, my sister-in-law, my mother and my future mother-in-law.

It was 11th August. The wedding was in two days. We were getting married in Rome as we had planned and it was going to be small. Our families and our closest friends- Alice and Jasper, Ben and Angela, Rosalie and Emmett, Emmett's parents (who were like second parents to Edward), Seth and Embry. That was it. We had also invited Siobhan and Liam but they were in Rio de Janeiro, working on a deal that would considerably improve rail transport in Brazil.

Garrett was now working in Leeds as an executive in the Industry division, Liam having appointed him to start handling tax issues for our clients straight away. He was renting a house near us in Horsforth and his parents had, as promised, moved in to help him look after Carter. Kate had apparently sunk into a deep depression and was being treated in a hospital near her parents' home in Hertfordshire. According to doctors she was not strong enough to handle conversations about her marriage, Carter and the future. Garrett was keeping in touch with her parents but there was still much uncertainty about the Granger family's future. We had invited him to Rome for the wedding but were unsurprised when he politely declined.

Edward had gained weight and most of his muscle tone in the two months since the accident. The bruises had gone and the scars had faded. He had remained teetotal, as had I, and both of us had benefited. We slept better, we ate better and our sex life was spectacular. We now worked with Colin three times a week on our mutual fitness, my balance and Edward's muscle strength. Edward now walked unaided, albeit with a slight limp. He was seeing Dr Hammond weekly to help him with his confidence and self-esteem issues, with controlling his anger and to help him maintain his abstinence from alcohol, and as a result, was much happier in his own skin.

Not long before the accident, Edward had hired a non-legal manager to help him with setting up VDI Law School, called Alistair Jones. He had been a godsend. He had taken over when Edward was ill and brought him up to speed when he returned. The law school project continued to flourish and in the first week of September Alistair and Edward would be starting an aggressive promotions and recruitment tour of universities.

When I returned to work, at the same time as Edward, I took over the investigations into who had been sabotaging the deal and got the team to look into some email accounts of seemingly minor administrative staff who worked in the departments whose accounts were the most distorted. They weren't minor admin staff at all. They were senior department heads communicating through ghost accounts, orchestrating the huge-scale sabotage in order to save their own skin, fearing that their jobs would be cut during the merger because of their poor performance, instead of actually trying to improve their department's productivity.

Once the sabotage had been identified and the perpetrators removed from post, Jenks and his team went back to the raw accounts and re-audited them to provide an accurate representation of the packaging company's worth. We were still working on the deal and it would be worth less than when we first picked it up, but it was now safe and still on course to be the biggest one of the year for the Industry Division. VDI still would still receive a seven million pound fee when the deal closed.

I was also planning to keep VDI involved after the deal closed by offering to solidify their constitutional documents and protect any new profits and assets the company accrued, for a healthy retention fee. I was confident that the clients would retain us; they trusted us after all the work we put in to rescue the deal. By way of a thank you and a wedding present Siobhan and Liam insisted that we take two weeks paid leave for our honeymoon despite all the time off we'd already had when Edward was in hospital.

Despite the bathroom door being closed I could still hear everyone, now bickering about who was going to check on me. I opened the bathroom cabinet to find some painkillers and some antacids for my churning stomach. Thankfully both were there. I pulled out the packets, took some of each and put them back. Just as I was closing the door my eyes fell on a large blue box. _Tampons. Don't need those yet. My period's not due for..._

When was the last time I had a period? I should have had one in early July. My contraceptive pill packets consisted of three weeks of hormone and one week of dummy pills. I'd taken them every day since the age of seventeen. Suddenly I remembered the two weeks when Edward was in hospital. I forgot it a couple of times when my sleep was really erratic and I was desperately worried about him. _Surely I couldn't be pregnant? After missing the pill twice? _

Edward and I had continued being horny little rabbits since he came back from the hospital. If one of my eggs had gotten free thanks to my momentary lapse in contraception, then it was most definitely entirely possible that I was pregnant. I'd had a few episodes of feeling queasy at work but I'd put it down to the stress of closing the packaging deal or forgetting breakfast. Other than that I'd had no morning sickness at all. I remembered my mother saying to Charlotte once that she had not had any morning sickness when pregnant with Peter or me (rather insensitively, for Charlotte was really struggling with it; my mother's not the most tactful of people), so maybe genetics was why I hadn't had any.

"Bella? Are you OK?" Renee asked before banging on the door.

"Fine Mum. I'll be out in a minute."

_Think, Bella, think. _

I needed to get out for a while. Fresh air, a bit of alone time and an espresso would do me good. Suddenly my stomach lurched. _Urgh. Espresso. Yuck. _

If I had gone off coffee, one of my most favourite things, then I definitely needed to find a pregnancy test, and soon.

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom.

"Oh sweetie, are you OK?" Esme asked.

"Yeah, sorry. I just felt a bit overwhelmed."

"No, we're sorry Bella. You wanted a low key wedding and here we all are, making a big deal over little things." Rosalie shot a sideways glance at Alice who was looking a little sheepish. She was well aware of her own tendency to get carried away and absorbed by details.

"So sorry Bella." Alice said quietly and sincerely.

"It's all right. I know you mean well." I told her before pecking her on the cheek. Her eyes lit up but before she could make a myriad of suggestions, I intervened. "Rosalie, like everyone else, can wear what she wants, OK?" Alice nodded, a little deflated. "I'm going for a bit of fresh air. I'll be back in an hour."

I made my way through Campo De'Fiori and across the busy thoroughfare of Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II, and over towards the Trevi Fountain. However, being August, it was really hot and there were masses of tourists about so instead I diverted towards a little ice cream shop I knew, tucked away down an alley just behind the back of the Pantheon. Just before reaching it, I walked past a pharmacy. I ducked in and bought two pregnancy tests, and stashed them in my bag.

I ordered a double scoop of Cassata and Zabaglione flavoured _gelato_ and sat at the back, watching the guys behind the counter serve customers, flirt with teenage girls and lark about. My phone beeped with a text from Edward. He and the rest of the men were out playing football in the Villa Borghese gardens for the afternoon.

"_Are you OK? Mum said you were getting a bit flustered and went out. Love you, Gorgeous. E xxx"_

I texted him back.

"Alice on a Pixie-trip. Needed fresh air. And _gelato._ Am A-OK Baby. Heading back soon. Love you back B xxx"

I decided I couldn't wait to find out whether I was pregnant. I finished my delicious ice cream and ducked into the loo.

I pulled out the pregnancy tests. It was pretty simple. Pee on sticks, wait three minutes.

Three minutes went by really slowly. Finally, I looked over the tests.

I was pregnant. Definitely pregnant.

-cc-

"_..Dichiaro che Edward e Isabella sono sposati!"_ The registrar exclaimed. _I hereby declare that Edward and Isabella are married. A few simple words that mean I'm bound to my Edward forever. _

Edward leaned in to kiss me and I threw my arms around him. He lifted me up as his lips met mine.

"_Il mio amore, il mio cuore, mia moglie." _He whispered before putting me down.

"My love, my heart, my _husband._" I whispered back as he kissed my forehead.

We were interrupted by loud cheering from our families and friends, led by Emmett.

"All right! Mr and Mrs Cullen, everybody!" He bellowed as everybody clapped.

Our ceremony was held at Complesso Vignola Mattei, a small ex-convent near the Baths of Caracalla that was one of the few venues in Rome which held civil ceremonies. It was small, rustic, charming and informal- perfect for our little wedding. We had also secured the last slot of the day, at 6pm so that there would be no other couples waiting to come in as we had photos taken.

Edward looked more handsome than was humanly possible in a dark stone linen suit and navy shirt, with no tie and a calla lily boutonniere. Emmett, as Edward's best man, was dressed in a similar linen suit but his was a couple of shades lighter and his shirt was white. I was proud that I had chosen my dress all by myself, given my shopping-hate. It was a strapless 50s style knee-length A-line ivory satin dress with a matching short lace bolero and a navy satin belt just under the bust. My hair hung in loose waves, decorated with a simple pearl headband. My jewellery was the sapphire bangle, necklace and earrings Edward had given me over the course of the first year of our courtship, which all coordinated with my engagement and wedding rings. My bouquet was made up of just calla lilies, tied with a navy ribbon. My shoes were navy blue satin peep-toe pumps.

Esme, Renee, Angela and Seth cried throughout the ceremony. Gianna was my only bridesmaid and wore a pretty cream sleeveless lace dress with a navy border that she would no doubt cover in chocolate later. Charlie walked me down the aisle. He didn't shed a tear but he looked suspiciously red-eyed as he gave my hand to Edward.

After the ceremony and the photos, we all made our way to our favourite cafe-bar in Campo De'Fiori where we were having a sunset reception before moving on to our favourite seafood restaurant for the wedding breakfast. Then Edward and I were spending the night in our apartment before heading out for our honeymoon the next afternoon. We had debated a location for ages before agreeing that what we wanted was sun, sea and alone time without having to go on a long-haul flight. We therefore decided to rent a secluded beachfront villa in Sardinia for two weeks.

Edward and I decided that we would not break our alcohol abstinence for our wedding, but were happy for our loved ones to drink. They all knew about our decision (although not the exact reasons behind it) and were very supportive. It was especially useful for me because I didn't have to give an excuse for why I wasn't drinking at my wedding.

We were four courses through our spectacular seven-course wedding feast when Emmett, who had decided to act as toastmaster, decided it was time for speeches.

Charlie gave a short but genuine speech, telling everyone that he was blessed with the most beautiful girl in the world for a daughter and that I had made him proud every day since I was born. I cried a little at that.

Emmett went next and I could see Edward brace himself.

"Don't worry Bro, I'm not going to spill your deepest darkest secrets!" Emmett exclaimed. "Not tonight anyway!" Everyone laughed.

Emmett told us about how he and Edward had been best friends for their whole lives and about some of their schoolboy antics, like deciding to make Esme and Peggy perfume from Esme's prized cream and pink roses, her pride and joy. He talked about the first time he met me, when we got into a ferocious debate about something really stupid, like the best type of M&Ms. He told everyone that he knew that night that I should be the girl Edward married, and gently teased both of us for taking so long to get it on.

"...I think we can all agree, that it was worth the wait, right? 'Dward and Bell, you guys have been through so much in the nine or so years you've known each other, not least the past few months. Edward, I'm so glad we didn't lose you, man. I can't even contemplate life without you. And I know from spending time with Bella during that awful time when you were unconscious, that she feels the same. So go forth, have lots of red haired, big brown-eyed, super clever babies and be happy!" _Errr...Emmett, the babies will be happening sooner than you think. _

"Hear hear!" Everyone echoed as they toasted us.

"Right, now for the very happy groom! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Edward Cullen!"

Edward hesitated a moment before standing up.

"Thanks, Em. Charlie. Both hard acts to follow. My wife and I..." everyone whooped as he said the word 'wife'. He smiled broadly. "...would like to thank you so much for being here. I don't need to tell you that I'm the happiest guy in the world today. Bella captivated me from the moment I laid eyes on her." He turned to me. "You really did, Gorgeous."

"Likewise." I whispered, so only he could hear. His smile grew even bigger.

"As Emmett has mentioned, it took a while for us to get together. There were other boys and girls in our lives. There was distance and there were insecurities. On my part it was disbelief that a girl so amazing could want me. But since we found each other, it's been perfection, even during the bad times. Bella, no measure of time with you could ever be enough, but forever's a good start, right?"

"Yes." I replied, loud and clear.

"I can't yet believe that I get to keep you, and I promise to look after you and our children, when we have them, until my dying day." I couldn't help but notice that he glanced at Charlie when he said this.

"So I'd like to raise a toast to my beautiful bride, BellaMarie _Cullen..." _everyone whooped again. "I love you so much." As everyone got up to toast us, Edward leant down to kiss me. When they had all sat down, including Edward, I stood up.

_Right, Bella, you can do this. _

"Bella, love?" He still held my hand. I bent down to kiss it before standing back up.

"Um, hi, everyone. I know it's not traditional for the bride to make a speech, but very little about the two of us is traditional! So please, indulge me a minute." Everyone was silent with anticipation.

"Edward, words can't describe how happy I am to have you as my husband." Nobody whooped, clearly understanding that my words were going to be intense. "I never thought I was even the marrying kind until you swept into Hong Kong determined to make me yours. Even when we were both with other people, I used to imagine what it would be like to have you as my husband instead, and I know the reality will be even better."

"Bella..." he murmured with surprise and awe in his voice.

"Now that dream has been realised, I've got new daydreams. But I'll come back to those later. Because right now, I have a confession to make..."

"A confession?" He asked. "Should I be worried?" Our friends and family tittered.

"When you were desperately ill after the accident, I couldn't sleep without you next to me. I tossed and turned and was exhausted. One night, the night you first woke up and told me you loved me, I ended up looking for a t-shirt of yours in your suitcase. Something that smelled of you. I found one, and I also found something else. A box of letters, all addressed to me, mostly written when you were in Malawi."

Edward's eyes grew large.

"Oh crap..."

"My confession is that I read them. All of them. Several times. After I did I fell asleep for the first time in days, because doing so restored my faith in our happily ever after."

Tears started pouring down my face, and I didn't bother to stop them. Edward stood up and kissed me again, wiping his own tears away before wiping away mine.

"Oh, my love..."

"Wait! I'm not done! Alice, please could you pass me the handbag you insisted I have. Thank you for that, by the way. It's lovely." She grinned before passing me the navy beaded clutch. I opened it and pulled out a piece of paper and a small soft wrapped gift before handing the bag back to her.

"I said that I'd come back to my new daydreams. Well, it seems that they're similar to Edward's. I'd just like to read everyone a part of one of those letters he wrote to me from Malawi.

"_...I imagine what our children would look like frequently. I imagine a little girl with your long wavy dark brown hair and green eyes. I imagine a little boy with warm brown eyes and dark auburn hair like mine. I imagine them running round in our garden, riding bikes and playing football. I imagine sitting at the kitchen table decorating cupcakes with them, painting pictures and reading them stories, you right next to me. With you as a mother, our children would be the brightest academically and the most strikingly beautiful in the world..."_

"Oh my God..."

"I can't wait for those daydreams to become reality, Baby." I handed him the gift. "This is for you. Open it."

He glanced up at me before looking at our loved ones. Renee and Esme were holding onto each other, anticipating what was going to be in the present.

Edward tentatively opened the package before pulling out the very small black t-shirt I just had to buy at a souvenir shop on my way back from the ice cream shop two days earlier, after discovering I was pregnant. It said 'I love my daddy' in six languages, in big white lettering. Yesterday I had ducked out early to have a blood test and scan at the doctors' surgery which confirmed that I was seven weeks' pregnant.

"Bella! Are you telling me what I think you're telling me?" Edward exclaimed.

"I'm telling you that those daydreams we share are going to become reality in about 7 and a half months, Handsome."

"You're pregnant?"

"I'm pregnant." He stared at me for what felt like ages, oblivious to the other people in the room, before closing the distance between us and enfolding me into his arms.

"I didn't think it was possible to get any happier than I was five minutes ago. I was wrong."

"Phew! So I'm forgiven about the letters?"

"Nothing to forgive. They're yours. Everything I have is yours, my love." He rubbed a hand over my tummy. "Yours and our baby's."

"You're going to be the best father in the world, Mr Cullen."

"And you're going to be the best mother in the world, Mrs Cullen."

-cc-

**EPOV**

"Please, Edward? Please, please, please?"

"Bella, it's 10.30am! We have to leave for brunch like now and we're not even dressed!"

"I'm throwing myself at you and you're saying no?" Her bottom lip trembles and her eyes mist up. _Oh no. Not the waterworks. Bloody pregnancy hormones._

"Bella, love..."

"It's because I'm the size of a house, isn't it?"

"No, Gorgeous. You look amazing!" I pull her to me and run my hands over her swollen belly. "I just don't want to be late for the umpteenth time this month."

"We could be quick..." She asks hopefully, looking up at me with her big brown eyes, her lashes wet from a stray tear, her skin radiant and dewy. Bella at 37 and a half weeks pregnant is absolutely glowing, but the hormones give her mood swings, and she's developed a voracious appetite for sex, so much that at times I struggle to keep up with her.

I sigh. _Resistance is futile. Good thing I don't want to resist._

"How can I say no to that face?" I sweep the hair away from her neck and give her soft, wet kisses there, tonguing up to her jaw and earlobe. "Tell me what you need, love."

"Mmm..." she sneaks a hand down to my cock and rubs me. My faithful soldier jumps to attention. Truth be told, her desire for me is incredibly sexy. "...seeing as you're rock hard, Baby, I'd really like you to bend me over and fuck me hard and fast."

"Whatever you want, my darling Bella." I pull off her robe and she's naked underneath. Her rounded tummy juts out as do her breasts. Thanks to our baby growing inside her, Bella's breasts are huge. I love them however they come but I will admit, they feel great big like this. I squeeze them gently and Bella moans.

"Now, Edward, now! I need you!" She pushes away from me and gets up on all fours, ready for me to enter her. I lean over her and kiss her between her shoulder blades before stroking my hard cock up and down her slit. She shudders and pushes her delectable ass out further. I slide into her wet, slick pussy and both of us groan with delight. She asked for hard and fast, and that's what I give her, rocking in and out as fast as I can manage.

"God, Bella!" I cry as she takes me in deeper and deeper.

"Feels so great, Baby! Worth being late for?"

"Of course, my love!"

"Oh, I'm coming! EDWARD!" I feel the clenching of her orgasm as her walls clamp down around my cock. I keep up my movements. I'm not far away from coming hard inside her and I know from experience, she's not done yet.

"I love you, my sexy wife!"

"Don't stop, Baby. I want another one!" Her hand moves down to her clit and as she rubs it in slow circles, I cover her hand with mine and make her press her little nub harder. She cries out incoherent mumbles as she comes again. And again. By the time my release comes, she has her fourth orgasm of the morning.

I slide out of her and collapse on the bed beside her. She rolls onto her side and I scoot towards her so I can hold her against me. We are a sweaty but satisfied heap of arms, legs, chests and swollen baby tummy. I brush away her hair, which is a little damp from perspiration after our exertions, and kiss her before reaching for my phone to call Angela.

"Hi Ang! I'm afraid we're running late...maybe an hour? Can you let everyone else know? ...Thanks. See you soon!"

"Thanks, Handsome. I'm sorry that I keep doing this to you."

"Bella, whatever you need, it's yours. It's my job and my privilege to look after you and Bambino." I tell her. We had decided not to find out the sex of our child, instead referring to him or her as 'Bambino' which was Italian for 'baby.' "I'm sorry I was reluctant at first. I was trying to be..."

"...responsible. I know." She sits up all of a sudden. "Oh!" Her hands fly to her tummy. "Bambino's awake!" She grabs my hand and presses it to her belly. I promptly feel a flurry of nudging and fluttering against my palm and lean down to kiss the smooth skin, causing my wife to giggle.

"Did we wake you, Bambino?" Nudge. "Are you hungry?" Nudge. I glance at Bella who is nodding. "Bacon, scrambled eggs and toast with Marmite and raspberry jam?" Nudge. Bella beams. It's her current favourite breakfast. I can't fathom how she can eat the intensely savoury, salty Marmite with super-sweet raspberry jam, and scrambled eggs. Gross. But she loves it and what Bella and Bambino want, they get. "Well, why don't Mummy and Daddy get dressed so that Daddy can buy Mummy as much brunch as she wants?" Nudge nudge. I love that Bambino seems to respond to our voices.

"Great idea!" Bella climbs off the bed, turns round to kiss me soundly and goes off to get dressed.

It is the first weekend of Bella's maternity leave. She was supposed to have started at 35 weeks but she stayed longer to wrap up the last pieces of work she had been doing following the packaging companies' merger deal. When it finally went through the October after our August wedding, and news hit the world markets, the companies' share prices rocketed. The story of VDI's rescue of the deal also hit the media, causing the firm's profile to skyrocket. Most lawyers would consider their job done at that point, but not Bella.

As part of the deal, my amazing wife negotiated a retention fee, and went on to rewrite their new company constitution, handled the closure of their inefficient departments and helped the clients acquire several smaller niche-market packaging companies in France, Germany and the Netherlands, thus increasing the companies' worth further, and earning her several smaller bonuses on top of the one percent she'd earned from the original deal (a cool £70,000, which has gone into a fund for Bambino).

This weekend also happens to be exactly ten years since I met her in the Terrace Bar at Leeds University, when she came to visit Angela. I can be a bit of a sentimental fool and have decided to take Bella back there this Saturday morning before going to brunch with Angela, Ben, Alice, Jasper, Seth and Embry. They all know and are waiting for us in an upmarket cafe down the road.

"Edward, what are we doing on campus?" She asks as I pull the car into a parking space near the Students' Union.

"I just need to pick something some of my letter-writing stationery from the Students' Union Shop, my love." It is actually true. It's the only place in Leeds that sells my preferred blue notepads and envelopes.

"Oh, OK." She doesn't move.

"Come with me? We've got a little time for a browse before meeting the others."

"We do?" I nod. She shrugs and gets out of the car.

Once inside the Union, we head to the shop in the basement of the building and pick up my stationery and a few other bits and pieces. Afterwards I take her back upstairs and direct her towards the Terrace Bar. It is open, serving hung-over students greasy fried breakfasts and pints of Coke.

"Edward what are we doing here?" She asks, clutching my hand.

"Isabella Marie Swan Cullen, exactly ten years ago in this very place, I laid eyes on you for the first time. I remember the way you looked, the way you smelled, the quiet yet smart words you said. My heart was yours from that moment, even though it took me far too long to realise, man up and win you."

Bella's mouth drops open.

"Edward!" She playfully slaps me on the chest. "You're such a sap! I love it!" She leans forward to kiss me. "_My_ sap. Thank you Baby." Another kiss. "Even though I had no hope that you'd ever be more than a friend at that point, I knew that day that meeting you was a hugely significant event."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Why do you think I adore that old Leeds Uni football team t-shirt of yours?"

"What do you mean?"

"You were wearing it that day. I remember seeing you and my heart stuttering as you smiled in our direction. I thought you were the most handsome guy I'd ever seen." She tells me, biting her lip.

"Bella..." I cup her face in both my hands and capture her lips with mine.

"I love you so much, Edward." She whispers when I release her lips but not her face.

"I love you back, my..."

"Get a room!" Some bozo student yells.

"Dude, they already did!" His friend yells back, snickering. I let go of Bella and turn round to see a group of students laughing from one corner of the bar. I suppose it's unsurprising that the sight of a heavily pregnant woman in a student bar causes a few surprised murmurs, and Bella is immediately self-conscious. She blushes, dark crimson staining her cheeks. Suddenly my sweet little idea seems stupid. I decide not to make her linger.

"Shall we go now, my darling, so we can feed you and Bambino?" I ask her, glaring in the direction of the obnoxious students and rubbing her tummy. She nods, her head down in embarrassment and we start walking out of the main bar area.

Suddenly she stops in her tracks and grips my wrist really tight, so tight that I'm sure I'll have bruises later.

"Edward," she whispers. "Either I just peed myself a little or my waters just broke. Either's possible but I think I might have just had a contraction as well."

There are some men who can remain calm when their wives say stuff like that. I am not one of those men. I start trembling with panic and worry. _It's too early for our little one to arrive! The house isn't yet ready for Bambino! We haven't got our baby bag with us! Bella hasn't had her breakfast yet! _

Bella ushers me into a corner, pulls out my mobile phone from my back pocket and has me sit on a tub sofa. She sits next to me before calling Angela.

"Ang? No it's me, Bella."

"_Hey, how did you like your surprise?"_

"Great. It was really sweet, but we have a problem...aah!"

"_Bella?"_

"Ang, I think my waters just broke and Edward's a heartbeat away from a panic attack. There's no way we can get to the hospital by ourselves. Please can you come get us, and can you ask Alice to let herself into our house and pick up the baby bag she helped us pack? Oh and can you ask Seth and Embry to order some breakfast for us and bring it to the hospital?"

"_OK, Bells. We'll be there in five."_

Thankfully, I manage to get over my panic by the time Angela and Ben arrive, and I'm good to go. We make it to the labour ward ten minutes and two contractions later. The midwife, Maria, checks Bella and a look of surprise crosses her face.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Mrs Cullen, you're already six centimetres dilated! You said that you've only had a couple of contractions?" She asks with a strong Northern Ireland accent.

"Yes! I mean, I felt a few odd twitches and spasms this morning when we..." she glances at me and her face colours. Maria seems unfazed.

"Sometimes sexual activity can precipitate labour, although it's still surprising you weren't in pain earlier. Maybe you just have a high pain threshold." She says. "I would expect that your baby will be born today. No prolonged labour for you!"

She is right. Our son arrives just eight hours later. After hearing Alice's stories about her very long labour, it's welcome. Alice was in labour with Jackson, now age 2, for thirty hours and needed copious amounts of drugs. Bella doesn't even have gas and air.

"I'm so proud of you, my darling Bella!" I tell her that evening as she cradles our son in her arms. She has just fed him for the first time and he is sleeping, happily milk-drunk.

"Edward, we're parents! Can you believe it?" She says wondrously. "He's so little, and so adorable!" She strokes the auburn fuzz on top of his soft spot.

"What about a name, love? We never really decided, did we?"

"No. It was one of the things we were going to do next week." She looks up at me. "I think he should have a fairly traditional name like you. Something solid and strong that won't sound ridiculous shortened into a nickname."

"I agree. We could call him Edward too I suppose, but..."

"No. I can't cope with both of you being called the same thing. And someone will inevitably call him Junior, which I hate."

"What about Masen? It was my paternal grandmother's maiden name. My parents nearly called me that but decided that Edward suited me better."

"I like it as a middle name but it would get shortened to Mase." She crinkles her nose at the thought of that. She's right. 'Mase' is awful.

We are interrupted by a quiet knock on the door. It is Maria wearing a coat over her navy uniform.

"Hey, folks. Just wanted to say that I'm going off for the night." Her eyes land on our sleeping son. "Jesus Mary and Joseph, he's going to be a heartbreaker! Such a bonny boy! Well done!" She exclaims. We laugh. I couldn't agree more.

"Thank you so much, Maria." We both shake her hand and she departs.

"She was great, wasn't she?" Bella says. "I love her accent."

"Yes. And the way she always said 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph'!" I snicker. Bella's expression changes from smiling to pensive. "What is it, my love?"

"Edward, what do you think of the name 'Joseph'?"

-cc-

**AN: Some Italian translations:**

"_..Dichiaro che Edward e Isabella sono sposati!" _(I hereby declare that Edward and Isabella are married.)

"_Il mio amore, il mio cuore, mia moglie." _(My love, my heart, my wife.)


	30. Chapter 29

**AN: Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for your reviews!**

**As you can see the story is marked 'complete' as of today. This is the final chapter and the next one is the epilogue. I can't believe it's finished! It seems like only a couple of weeks since I started this story but it was actually the end of April! Thanks for sticking with it (especially in the beginning when E and B were being idiots!) and I hope you like the ending.**

**For those of you reading 'High Stays the Tide' I'm also publishing two chapters of the companion piece today and I'll finish it within the next two weeks. **

**I do not own Twilight. I am just paying homage to Stephenie Meyer in my own special way.**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 29**

**EPOV**

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Daddy! Happy birthday to you!" Bella sings, dancing on the spot whilst carrying our little boy in her arms. "Blow out your candle, Daddy!"

"Dada!" Joey echoes. He giggles when I blow out the single candle that Bella has inserted into a chocolate cupcake, and starts wriggling out of her arms to make his way into my lap. Once he manages it, he immediately sticks his fingers into the icing and then into his mouth. "Mmm!"

"Is that yummy, Joe-Joe?" I laugh. He nods happily. I kiss him on the forehead. Bella sits down next to me and I lean in and kiss her by way of thanks.

"Happy birthday, Handsome." She whispers, kissing me back. As she breaks away her eyes are full of lust and promise for my private birthday present. My public one is a brand new car, a sleek black Audi Q5, which is large enough to accommodate all Joey's baby-gear.

I still can't quite believe that I'm a father. Joseph Masen Cullen has turned our world on its head. He is fifteen months old now and every moment of his life has been joy. He has inherited my unruly dark reddish-brown hair and face shape, but he has been blessed with Bella's dark brown eyes and her smile. He is incredibly smart. He was walking and talking at 10 months, and is learning new things every day. He is outgoing and sunny, more like Esme in personality than me or Bella.

So much can change in just a couple of years. Our house in Horsforth is now decorated exactly the way we like with a playroom, cinema room and indoor gym. The large garden is a now a paradise complete with herb garden, vegetable patch, barbecue, fishpond and a hot tub in a little hut. My parents' lives have changed too. After my accident, my father and Professor Gerandy remained close and through the acquaintance, Carlisle was headhunted to the role of Professor of General and Abdominal Surgery at the University of Leeds. My mother decided to retire early and sold her events business for a huge profit. They now live down the road from us, in the house next to Alice and Jasper. She looks after Joey for us when we are both at work, and, when she wants to, acts as a freelance consultant to the hospitality industry.

All three generations of us Cullens are in San Francisco for the annual International Law Association conference, which this year has fallen across the week of my birthday. When Bella and I realised that we both needed to attend this year, we were immediately concerned about Joey. Neither of us need to travel for work much nowadays because we are executives, but if we do (and more often than not, it's Bella who has to travel) the other is there to look after our little man.

My parents immediately offered to help by looking after Joey while we were away but neither of us could stand to be away from our son for a whole week. Therefore Carlisle and Esme offered to come with us and look after him during the day whilst we were at work. Rather than get impersonal hotel rooms, we have rented a house in the lovely district of Noe Valley for a week, and after the conference ends, we are all driving to Lake Tahoe for a week of relaxation.

Bella is delivering a keynote speech on good legal practice in Industrial Law, and also receiving an ILA award for her work on the packaging companies merger deal nearly two years ago. Needless to say, she was the runaway winner of the International Law Association's Positive Practice award after all her hard work and ingenuity in not only rescuing the deal but keeping VDI involved with the company after the deal went through.

I too am presenting at the conference, although at a more low-key session than Bella's. I'm presenting the VDI Law School venture at the Academic Law Forum, and then facilitating a seminar on the use of social media in teaching law. We have just come to the end of the pilot year of VDI Law School and it has been an unprecedented success. Our students have embraced the ultra-modern teaching methods and it shows in their great exam results. They have done well on their Easter internships, with good feedback from their mentors. Aro has been ecstatic over it and has come good on his promise to give me full credit for the idea and the success.

After my morning birthday cupcake, most of which ends up on Joey's pyjamas, we get dressed and head out to 24th Street to meet my parents for breakfast. They got up early to go for a walk and get a newspaper, although I know that they actually went out early to let me to have some alone time with Bella and Joey.

"Good morning son! Happy birthday!" Carlisle isn't shy about giving me a hug as we walk into the diner.

"Yes, happy birthday, Sweetie!" My mother stands on her tiptoes to kiss me on the cheek and then kisses Bella and Joey.

"Gampa! Gamma!" Joey exclaims, reaching out for Esme. She sweeps him up into her arms from the pushchair.

"Hey Joe-Joe!" He giggles as she tickles him.

"So, what do you have planned for the day?" Bella asks once we are seated and the waitress has brought coffee round.

"We're going to go to Golden Gate Park. The Grangers are meeting us there with Carter."

"Oh, that will be great!" Bella exclaims. "Joey and Carter will love the carousel, and I'm sure you and Diane are itching to see the Japanese Tea Garden." She adds, knowing the two share a love of gardening.

Esme nods enthusiastically. She and Carlisle have become good friends with Garrett's parents Diane and Bill since moving to Leeds, and they are in San Francisco to look after Carter whilst Garrett attends the conference like us.

Garrett was officially granted full custody of Carter after his divorce from Kate went through just under a year ago. She spent six months in hospital recovering from her depression and another four having home treatment and rehabilitation at her parents' house. She refused any contact with Garrett or Carter and once her treatment was over, she petitioned for divorce and gave up custody of Carter without a fight. She could have asked for regular alimony but instead requested that Garrett just give her their house in London, mortgage and all. She didn't want anything else. She hasn't seen Carter once in nearly two years and he's now three and a half years old. She went back to work and rumour has it she is seeing another older, independently wealthy lawyer in London.

After a delicious birthday breakfast of blueberry pancakes we wave goodbye to Carlisle, Esme and Joey and make our way into the business district of San Francisco to the Moscone Centre, where the conference is being held. Bella is quiet and contemplative.

"Are you OK, my love?" I ask, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles. "I notice you didn't eat much breakfast. You didn't even drink your coffee."

"Yes, Baby, I'm fine, just a bit nervous about my speech and the awards ceremony this evening." She leans in to kiss my cheek.

"I know it'll be a sensation, my love." She smiles but I can tell she's distracted.

Together we attend a fascinating session on the international laws on sustainable development in the morning and then meet Garrett and a few other executives from VDI for lunch, including Sam Uley and Austin Zheng from the Hong Kong office. Once again Bella does not eat much and I am starting to worry.

As if she knows what I am thinking, she leans in and whispers,

"Seriously Edward, I'm fine. I'm going to go to the ladies' room and freshen up and then I'm going to take my place for my speech, OK?" I turn and kiss her temple and then she rises, excuses herself and walks away. _I hate it when she says she's fine. It usually means the opposite._

Twenty minutes later we all head to the main auditorium. Bella is sat on the stage with the other speakers, all prominent international lawyers specialising, like Bella, in working with manufacturing and industry clients. Siobhan is chairing the session.

After the first introductions, and an opening speech by a US-based lawyer on working with the nuclear power industry, it is Bella's turn. She steps up to the podium and waits for Siobhan's introduction.

"And now I'd like to introduce Isabella Swan Cullen. Isabella is a graduate of Emmanuel College, Cambridge and the City of London Law School, and was one of youngest executives ever to be appointed at Volturi, Denali and Ireland, where she is the shining light of the Industry Division. She is the winner of this year's ILA Positive Practice Award, thanks to her dedication and drive to bring about the biggest ever merger in the international food packaging industry, in the face of major corporate sabotage. She will be talking to us today about innovation and good practice in Industrial Law."

"Thank you Siobhan." With a deep breath, Bella begins her speech.

It is awesome. The whole crowd is enraptured as she makes a stand for ethical practice and dedication, and highlights ways in which lawyers can think laterally to close deals whilst still maintaining a high standard of service. She handles the questions with ease, even the most difficult ones from lawyers with twice her age and experience.

At the end of the whole session, I make my towards her through the crowd, who are trying to get to where the coffee is being served. By the time I get to her, a tall, thin man in his late 40s is talking to her, standing just a little too close for comfort. He has salt-and-pepper cropped hair and Eastern European features.

"...we would pay you much more money than VDI. You would be partner. Bigger office. Good company car. Investment portfolio..." He drawls in a strong, rough Eastern European accent.

"That's very nice of you, Mr Romanov, but I'm very happy where I am, thank you." Bella looks up to see me. "Edward!" She nudges past him and I gather her into my arms.

"My love, you were brilliant!" I brush her cheek with my lips. I want to show her so much more affection but I'm mindful that we are in a work environment. "I'm Edward Cullen. Isabella's husband." I say to the creepy guy.

"Vladimir Romanov." He replies tersely. "Think about it Isabella. We could work well together."

Before Bella can reply, he sweeps past. If he had a cape, he would be Dracula personified.

"Vladimir Romanov? Of Romanov Brothers and Associates?" I ask, referring to one of VDI's biggest rival firms. The Romanovs are desperate to usurp VDI's position as one of the most respected and profitable firms in the world. They had been tarnished, however, by links to the business arms of the Russian Mafia and Chinese Triad gangs in the past.

"The one and only. He wanted me to join them." She shudders lightly. "No way!"

"It's not surprising though. What could be a bigger coup to the Romanovs than stealing VDI's brightest star?"

"I guess." She replies. "Oh, by the way, Edward, the senior partners would like us to attend a meeting with them on Friday before the partners' Annual General Meeting."

"Oh, ok. Why?"

"I have no idea." Bella says, suddenly becoming a little lost in her thoughts.

"I'm guessing it's not a bad thing, otherwise Siobhan would have approached us individually to discuss it."

"Yeah." Bella still looks distracted.

"My love, why don't we miss the last session of the day and take a walk over to that park nearby, maybe have a coffee? We'd be back in plenty of time for your awards ceremony." I say. She breaks out into her beautiful 100-watt smile.

"Edward Anthony Cullen, are you suggesting we skive off?" She replies playfully.

"Yes I am!" I reply, reaching for her hand.

"Make it a strawberry milkshake and you got a deal, Handsome!"

-cc-

The next day, Thursday, is the day of my presentation, and Bella is in the audience supporting me. It goes very well. Our results are widely applauded and I get several invitations to deliver my seminar on the use of social media in teaching law to law schools worldwide. Aro is extremely pleased and once again reminds me about the meeting in the morning.

It is our last night in San Francisco. Garrett, Bella and I go straight from the Moscone Centre to meet my parents and the Grangers along with Joey and Carter at Fisherman's Wharf, where they have spent most of the day. Joey is already asleep in his pushchair by the time we get to the seafood restaurant at 7.30pm, having had a long day sightseeing. I can tell Bella is disappointed. We've spent hardly any time with our son this week because of the conference and she misses him.

Bella sleeps restlessly that night, and because she does, I do too. At around 5.30am, she gets out of bed and goes to the loo. She doesn't come back to bed. After around 20 minutes, I get up to find her. She is in Joey's room, watching him sleep.

"Bella, love?" I whisper.

"Hey." I stand behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. She tilts her head back so it rests against my chest and drapes her arms over mine. I kiss the top of her head, savouring her strawberry and freesia smell.

"What's on your mind, Gorgeous? You've been distracted, restless, off your food, like something's really worrying you."

She sighs deeply.

"You know I feel this constant conflict between work and home, Edward. And I've never felt it more than this week. Before Joey came along, I could devote all my focus to work, but now I always have half a mind on him, and when we're at home spending time with him I've got half a mind on work. The better I do at work, the more I worry that I'm a rubbish mother."

"Bella, Joey loves and adores you. He runs to you the moment you come home. He's healthy and happy and thriving because you're the one who makes sure he has a set routine, eats properly, shows him what's right and what's wrong. You guide me in all of that."

"But will it stay that way as we progress up the career ladder? When we have to do more of these conferences, with 12-hour days schmoozing and giving speeches? What about when we have more children? I love my job, but I love our son so much more, and I'm starting to doubt whether I can be good at both roles."

"All I know is this. You are a fantastic mother and a phenomenal lawyer. You have proved yourself as both over and over again. Besides, they won't be making us partners anytime soon. And we're not planning any more kids for a while."

"I guess not..." she still sounds anxious. Our conversation is halted by Joey stirring.

"Mama?" He looks up and round to us and his little face breaks out into a big smile. "Mama!" He yells in delight and scrambles to stand in the cot. "Mama, Dada! Mama, Dada!"

"Hey Joe-Joe!" Bella moves out of my arms and steps forward to pick him up.

"See? He thinks you're the Sun, Bella. And I do too." I tell her in her ear as she cradles Joey and kisses him. She turns round and kisses me too.

We head in early for the meeting and are met by Siobhan before going in.

"Hello young ones! Thank you so much for coming. Coffee?" She gestures to where a barista is serving the senior partners lattes and cappuccinos.

"Yes please. Americano with steamed milk. Bella? Your usual?" To my surprise, she shakes her head.

"Uh, just peppermint tea for me, please?" That's odd. Bella is a complete coffee junkie.

After we get our drinks, Siobhan has us sit at one end of a large oval conference table and then goes to sit at the other end with the other founding partners, Liam, Aro, Marcus and Sasha. The other senior partners take their seats. I end up sat with Demetri Volturi on my other side and Bella has Makenna Ireland on hers. Tanya Denali comes in last and sits in the last empty seat next to her mother.

"_Buon giorno tutti!" _Aro begins. "Thank you for your prompt arrival. I would like to welcome to Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan-Cullen to our meeting today. As you are all aware, they are both executives working out of VDI Leeds. Edward is our only Academic Law executive. He has set up and is running the VDI Law School, which has been a runaway success. He works under the supervision of me and Siobhan. Isabella works for the Industry division under the supervision of Siobhan and Liam, and is now best known for her ILA Positive Practice award. Marcus?"

"Thank you Aro. Edward, Isabella you have both proven yourselves as great assets to VDI, over and over again. And you have done it despite your own personal upheavals." There is a pause and it appears we are expected to respond.

"Err, thank you." I reply.

"It's a pleasure and an honour to work for a firm as well structured and nurturing as Volturi, Denali and Ireland, _Signore_." Bella adds.

"We would like to secure your future at VDI. I am sure you will both be approached by other legal firms and headhunters soon, if not already, and we do not want to lose you." Liam says, smiling warmly. "In fact we are already aware of other international law firms and law schools making enquiries about you and your contracts with us."

"We senior partners have been conferencing over the past month since the announcement of VDI Law School's results and Isabella's ILA award, and we met at the beginning of the week to discuss your futures with the firm." Sasha tells us.

"We came to a decision fairly easily. It was almost unanimous." Siobhan continues, beaming at us. Bella suddenly grips my hand. "Edward, Bella, we would like to offer you both junior partnerships."

_Holy shit!_

_Holy fucking shit!_

_Junior partners? At the age of 33? It's almost unheard of._

"Are you serious?" I blurt before clapping my hand over my mouth. "Sorry, it's just...unexpected. We've only been with the firm for seven years."

"But you work like partners. You're as dedicated as partners. Edward, you've taken my dream and made it reality. Furthermore you've made it a success." Aro replies. He gestures at someone behind us. Melissa, Siobhan and Liam's beloved head PA (they have four PAs in total) steps forward and places stacks of paperwork in front of us, with a contract on the top.

"Same goes for you, Bella." Liam adds. "Even counting the three months you took for maternity leave, you are consistently the most productive executive at VDI."

"Thank you." She says quietly. She is smiling at them but it is her fake smile. Whilst I am thrilled, she is most definitely not happy and I am fairly certain it has to do with our discussion this morning. "Um, would you be expecting us to move from Leeds?"

"No of course not! Isabella, your day to day job would not change much, other than taking responsibility for acquiring suitable deals, the supervision of executives, representing VDI at various events and a few other things." Marcus replies. "Same for you Edward."

"I see."

I glance at Siobhan. She and Bella are very close and it is obvious she knows something is up too.

"Look, take the paperwork away, read it, read it again and when you're back, we will negotiate the final terms before you sign on the dotted line." Siobhan says.

"We will do." I respond.

"Does anyone else have anything they'd like to say?" Sasha starts to bring things to a close. I look around at the other partners. They are all smiling and shaking their heads, except Tanya Denali who is sat there stony-faced. I'm guessing that she was the only voice of dissent with regards to us being promoted. She's never gotten over me leaving her department to work for Aro. "In that case, let us have a thirty minute recess for breakfast before we start the AGM. Edward, Isabella, you are more than welcome to join us for the rest of the day."

Everyone starts to get up.

"Edward, please could you take my paperwork? I need to go to the ladies' room." Before I can say anything, Bella flees.

-cc-

**BPOV**

As soon as the meeting was over, I ran to the ladies' and threw up, twice.

I knew I should be happy, being offered a junior partnership so young, getting the ILA award and all the positive feedback I'd received during the conference, but it was all very bad timing.

I was pregnant again.

I was due to give birth at the end of January. Once again this pregnancy was unplanned, although I could not fathom how it had happened. I had been taking the contraceptive pill again and unlike the last time I got pregnant, there had been no missed pills. Edward clearly had very potent sperm. I couldn't help but worry about taking on more responsibility at work whilst expecting another baby.

I was, in some ways, ecstatic to be having another child. However, I was already struggling with the guilt at leaving Joey for hours, and sometimes days, at a time. I had been especially struggling this week during the conference because it had been particularly demanding of our time. We had had several 8am starts and night-time finishes. The guilt at leaving Joey was doubled by the thought of doing it all again with our second child.

I fished out my water bottle, took a drink and spit it out to clear my mouth out, before fishing out a breath mint. I then exited the cubicle and ran right into Siobhan.

"Care to tell me what's going on, young one?" She asked, grey-green eyes blazing, hands on hips. "We thought you'd be happy at being a partnership. You must have known it was coming."

"I am happy and I'm honoured, Siobhan, but I didn't expect it." She looked me up and down.

"You're having another baby, aren't you?"

"W-what makes you say that?"

"No coffee, looking pale, hacking your guts up. How many weeks?"

"About six. Not long."

"Talk to me Bella."

"How am I going to cope with being a junior partner and pregnancy and Joey and be good at all of it? I hate that I can't do them all perfectly. I'm juggling so many different things as it is..."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, young one!" Siobhan put her hands on my shoulders. "Do you honestly think that we didn't consider the possibility of you having more children before we decided to offer you the junior partnership?"

"Sorry?"

"We knew that you would probably want more kids. If you read the paperwork, you'll see that if you accept the partnership, then you can pretty much choose your working hours, because you'll be in control of which projects and deals you accept on behalf of the firm, which is a partner's privilege. So if you want to work on just a couple of small deals at a time while your babies are young, then you can. And when the kids are in older, you can work on bigger deals and pull in the bigger fish."

I was stunned.

"Um...what do I say...wow!" I stuttered. "Siobhan, you would let me do that?"

"Bella, VDI needs you. And you need to _own_ that. You've risen to every single challenge thrown at you, in every department you've worked for. You now know more about Industrial Law than I do. Even working part-time for the rest of your career, you would be more valuable to us than three full-timers. Now, own it and start thinking of yourself as a partner, an equal."

I hugged her tightly. I needed that pep talk.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

"You're welcome. Now, go find that hottie husband of yours. I think you scared the shit out of him!"

"I will."

"Good. And congratulations. For the partnership and for the baby."

I almost skipped out of the ladies' room and saw Edward pacing up and down outside.

"Bella! Oh my God! Gorgeous one, are you OK?"

"Yes, Baby. Sorry!" I replied, leaning up and pecking him on the lips before smiling. "Can you believe it? Partners?"

"You're happy about it? After the conversation we had this morning and then running out like that..."

"Can we go somewhere? Take a walk? We need to talk about this and a couple of other things."

"OK...?"

I could tell he was worried by the look on his face and the way he raked his hand through his hair. I grabbed his hand, led him out of the conference rooms and out of the Moscone Centre. It was a hazy, balmy Californian summer morning, but quiet as it was only 9.30am. We walked through Yerba Buena Gardens for a few minutes until I spotted a bench not far from the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

"Bella, what's going on?" He asked as we sat down. "Are you OK, really?"

"Edward, I'm fine..."

"Oh God, I hate it when you say you're fine! It usually means you're anything but!"

"Edward, I will admit that I was freaking out after they offered us the partnership but I had a chat with Siobhan and she totally reassured me. Being a partner will mean that I can pick and choose projects, which means, essentially, that I can pick and choose my hours. I'll be able to spend more time with Joey and the next one, if I want to."

"That's great, my love!" He kissed the side of my mouth and stroked my hair. I turned my head to capture his lips with mine, and then dipped my tongue into his hot, inviting mouth. Eleven and a half years of friendship, three years of romance, nearly two years of marriage and a fifteen-month old son later, and my desire for my wonderful Edward had only grown.

"Mmm...Edward..." My husband's arms came round my waist and he gently swivelled me so that my legs were draped across his lap as he deepened our kiss.

"Bella!" He exclaimed as he let me go. "If you kiss me like that... it's taking all my willpower to resist having my wicked way with you right here, love!"

"Oops!" I replied. "It's your fault for being so damn irresistible!"

"Ditto, Gorgeous. Ditto!"

"That's probably why..." I began, suddenly realising that I was about to tell him about the baby.

"Why...what?"

"Why you've ended up with another birthday present." I told him. "One which is going to be ready at the end of January..." I added, taking his large hand and placing it on my tummy. "...Daddy!"

Edward gasped and his big green eyes darted between his hand on my abdomen and my face.

"We're having another baby?"

"Yes."

"That's why you've been off your food, distracted, not drinking coffee?" I nodded again. "Oh Bella! Oh, my darling, darling love!" He cupped my face and peppered it with kisses before caressing my tummy gently.

"We're going to have two kids under the age of two, Baby! Our life's going to be chaos, but a wonderful kind of chaos!"

"Oh Mrs Cullen, just when I think I can't get any happier, you go and prove me wrong."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and he rubbed his nose against mine a couple of times before flicking his tongue across my lips. I parted them and welcomed his tongue.

We continued making out for a few minutes, lost in our love and happiness.

"Public displays of affection so early in the morning? How..._teenage!"_ A cutting British voice sneered, suddenly interrupting our joy.

Edward and I separated reluctantly, to see a familiar face looming over us. An _unwelcome_ familiar face.

"Kate! What are you doing here?"

"I've flown in for a long weekend. My boyfriend's gave one of the keynote speeches at the ILA conference." She replied haughtily.

I had to admit, she looked good. She was dressed in a sharp Stella McCartney black and red colour-block dress with black platform peep-toe suede Christian Louboutin shoes, carrying what looked like a red Hermes Birkin bag. It was clearly an eye-wateringly expensive outfit. Her hair was flawlessly highlighted in numerous blonde tones, and she had her hair cut in a feathered, layered, swishy bob.

"How nice. Bella and I were _invited_ to speak at the conference." Edward said.

"Yes, I heard that you were giving a couple of little talks. So nice of the ILA to give you both such an opportunity." Kate replied patronisingly.

"Well, when you're the youngest ever winner of the ILA Positive Practice Award, the high fliers of the corporate law world want to hear from you. An auditorium full of them." I responded, unable to keep my disdain for her tone out of my voice. "That was me, by the way."

She snorted.

"Of course you did, sweetheart. But I've got news for you. Your time as the darling of International Corporate Law is coming to an end."

"Really? Why's that?" I half asked, half laughed, still shocked that I used to consider the harpy in front of us a friend.

"You are looking at the newest executive at Romanov Brothers and Associates. I know for a fact that I'm earning more than you are and I'm not stuck out in the sticks!"

"We're ecstatically happy in Leeds." Edward told her. "London might be buzzing with activity but Leeds is a wonderful place to raise a family. Green fields, beautiful hills, and people that care about each other. A community."

"Speaking of family, I noticed that you never mentioned yours." I added.

"My parents are fine." She said tersely.

"That's nice. What about your _son?"_ I couldn't help but spit out my words. "Did you even stop to wonder how Carter is? How Garrett copes as an executive whilst looking after him. Do you care that he and Carter are less than two miles away from here having breakfast with Diane and Bill?"

"What Carter and his father do is none of my concern." She replied coldly. "I have a new life now."

"I can't believe you can be so cold about your son. That angelic little boy deserves..." Edward was interrupted by someone calling for Kate.

"Kate! _Katya_!_"_ We turned to see the long, loping form of Vladimir Romanov walking towards us. "I was looking for yoou!" He kissed her soundly on the mouth and stroked her hair. _So that's how you got your new job. _He noticed me and Edward then. Isabella! Looking lovely, I see." He nodded at Edward. "Edward."

"You know each other?" Kate asked incredulously.

"Your boyfriend asked me to join Romanov Brothers and Associates a couple of days ago, after _my_ keynote speech." I told her smugly. "As a partner." She flinched.

"The offer's still there, Isabella."

"Thank you once again Mr Romanov, but Edward and I are accepting partnerships at VDI as of today."

"Ah well..." He said, grimacing. "Call me if you change your mind!"

"Vlad, we should be going. Goodbye Bella. Edward." Kate linked her arm through his and started to pull him away.

"Goodbye Kate. We'll be sure to give Carter and Garrett your regards when we see them later. Celebrating our partnerships!"

Her eyes widened and Vladimir looked at her, then us, then her again in confusion.

"Carter and Garrett?" We heard him ask as they walked away.

"Nobody of importance." She told him.

"Can you believe her?" I fumed once they were out of sight and earshot. "She truly doesn't give a shit about her son, and blatantly slept her way into that job when she's got zero corporate experience or training, and..."

"Bella, Bella love, calm down!" Edward held me close to him. "Kate's not worth it. She knows what she's lost. She tells herself that she's got the life she always wanted but inside she's empty. Void. She came over to lord her new job over us but also to make herself feel something again. Anger, jealousy, pain. All those emotions were all over her face when you were dressing her down."

"Handsome, you've paid way too much attention in your psychotherapy sessions!" I laughed. After eighteen months of therapy, Edward and his therapist Dr Hammond parted ways a few months ago. He had become much more secure and confident in his own abilities by working through his problems with her.

"Maybe. But what I said is true, my darling. She outwardly blames us for everything that went wrong in her life and tried to make us feel inferior right now, but deep down she knows that she'll never be able to regain the love and respect that we have."

"So what you're saying is that Kate doesn't matter?"

"No. She does not matter, my love." Edward tangled his hands into my loose brown waves and kissed my nose. "Despite everything she tried to do, we're happier than ever, more successful than ever and have so much love that our hearts are almost at bursting point."

"Almost?"

"Almost. We can always find room for a little more love, my darling Gorgeous Bella."

-cc-

**AN: Next up, the epilogue! **


	31. Chapter 31

**AN: And here it is, the last chapter of 'The Tide is High.'**

**Once again, thank you, dear readers, for all of your support. I hope you've enjoyed this story and the characters' ups and downs. Please let me know your thoughts.**

**I don't own Twilight or any of the characters created by Stephenie Meyer. I just borrowed them and created this story.**

**-cc-**

**Chapter 30**

**Epilogue**

"Joey! Meli! Breakfast!"

Footsteps thundered down the stairs a minute later.

"Mu-um! I told you, call me 'Joe', not 'Joey.'" My eight-year old son complained as he walked into the kitchen, ruffling his mop of dark reddish-brown hair. _Exactly like your dad._ "Joey makes me sound like a baby!" Despite his complaint, Joe was pure sunshine. Sporty, friendly, talkative and undeniably handsome, even at age eight, and he was popular and loved being around people. He was fiercely protective of his loved ones and had a very strong sense of right and wrong. He had gotten into fights a couple of times at school when defending younger kids from bullies.

"I'm trying _Joe_, but old habits die hard!" I told him as I handed him a glass of orange juice.

"Well, I like 'Meli'." My six-year old daughter hugged herself into my side before taking one of the other glasses of juice I'd poured.

"I'm glad, honeybun." I kissed her on the forehead.

Amelie Anne Cullen was the absolute spitting image of me, with the exception of Edward's green eyes. Long, wavy dark brown hair tumbled down her back. She had my pouty bottom lip. She wasn't that tall, but was all legs, and just as clumsy as I was. She was also one of the prettiest girls in the world. Of course, I was biased, being her mother. She had been born on a sunny, clear but ice-cold day in mid-January, and like with our son, I'd had a relatively quick and not-too-painful labour. In character, she was the most like Edward. She was quiet, studious, could be quite insecure, and if she was interested in something, she wanted to know everything about it. Her best friend was Lila Belle Whitlock, Alice and Jasper's younger child, who was as effervescent and quick-witted as her mother, with deep violet-blue eyes and tumbling sandy-blonde curls. Meli's crush was seven-year old Patrick Cheney, called Pad for short. He was Angela and Ben's youngest. It was so cute. She blushed like a tomato whenever he was in the room. _Just like me._

Thanks to timing my cases well, I was able to take six months off work to be with baby Amelie and toddler Joseph. Just as I was coming to the end of my maternity leave I got wind of a massive deal, a merger between two famous luxury car companies, where negotiations had broken down. The Romanov Brothers, who had been representing both companies involved, had been fired. The car companies needed representation, and fast.

I knew that Kate had been the reason for the deal failing. Vladimir had put her in charge of the massive deal and she had, in her inexperience, failed to secure a Chinese Wall between the different sets of lawyers working on the case. There had been a leak of information and a breach of the one company's confidentiality. The retribution was immediate. The companies fired Romanov Brothers instantly.

I quickly called a meeting with Tanya Denali, who was in charge of, among others, the general Mergers and Acquisitions department of the European Finance Division. I suggested that her department represent one of the car companies, and the Industry Division represent the other. As we were based in different cities, we could keep our teams separate and minimise any conflict of interest. If we could secure the deal on both sides, it would mean double the fee for VDI and double the recognition.

We took the case, nailed the deal and got the recognition, not to mention the big bonuses. The deal earned both Tanya and me another ILA Positive Practice award. Tanya and I had to spend a lot of time together but that wasn't a bad thing. It helped reduce Tanya's animosity towards me and Edward, and we were now friendlier, although we'd never be good friends.

Kate's name became mud in the corporate law world. Her relationship with Vladimir Romanov deteriorated and the last we heard, she was working as a personal injury lawyer in one of the London suburbs. Meanwhile Garrett was junior partner for the Tax division. Carter was healthy, despite his cystic fibrosis, albeit a little small. They stayed a very happy single-parent family until a year ago when Garrett married Sarah, his and Edward's old flatmate from law school. Bright, gentle Sarah had taken up a job teaching criminology and advocacy at VDI Law School in Leeds after the breakdown of her marriage four years ago. She had two kids, Matilda and Thomas, who were seven and five, and they both got on well with Carter. Three months ago, Sarah gave birth to Maxwell, their son. Given Carter's illness, Max was tested for cystic fibrosis and the tests came back negative.

My wonderful husband Edward was about to resume his role as Dean of VDI Law School full-time after going part time for three years to finally do the PhD he had always wanted to do. Alistair Jones, who was Edward's right hand man, took over a lot of the role, and now that Edward was back full-time, he was being sideways-promoted to Chief Executive of the school. VDI Law School had set the precedent for a revolution in legal teaching and now had branches in London, Rome, Frankfurt, Paris and Hong Kong, as well as Leeds. As part of his PhD project, Edward set up the VDI Tutors' Academy, which trained academic lawyers to deliver high-quality legal education using modern methods, social media and interactive web-based platforms. As a result, he had been given the ILA's Innovation award this year at the conference in Rio de Janeiro.

Just as I was about to serve up breakfast, Edward walked in carrying our youngest in a piggy back. Vanessa Sophie, known as Nessie, was four, and was like a mini, female Edward. She had wild auburn hair, redder than Edward's but strangely darker, which was curly, unlike Meli's which was wavy. She had also inherited Edward's green eyes and grace. In character, however, she was the most like me. She was neither extrovert, like Joe, or introvert, like Meli. She was careful, conscientious and usually quite docile and agreeable but occasionally she was very stubborn. Unlike Meli, who was quite a girly-girl, Nessie was a total tomboy. She loved playing football with Joe and Edward, climbing trees, tennis, cricket and riding bikes.

"Mummy! Mummy!"

"Good morning munchkin!" I kissed her on the cheek. "Good morning, Handsome!" I said to Edward, who kissed me softly.

"Good morning, Gorgeous!"

Edward's green eyes captured mine and he held my gaze intensely for a moment. Last night, Friday night, we had had a date night while the kids were being babysat at Angela and Ben's. Edward and I had stayed in and shared a romantic meal. He then proceeded to ravage me, totally and utterly, in the kitchen, then on the stairs, and then in the bedroom- twice, before we showered and picked the kids up. Oh and once more, quietly, this morning, in the shower. I was very thankful to my friends for babysitting. Angela and Ben, Alice and Jasper, and Edward and I took it in turns to babysit for each other so we could have precious alone time.

"Mum and Dad! Stop with the googly-eyes!" Joe shouted. He was hungry. He only got crabby when he was hungry. _Just like your dad._

"Relax kiddo, breakfast's coming." I tore my eyes away from Edward, who was chuckling softly, and handed him Nessie's juice cup.

"Thanks love." He murmured. "Right, Nessie, my little spider monkey. Time to sit down."

"I like it on your back Daddy." Nessie replied, hugging herself to him.

"I know, munchkin, but it's time to eat now." Edward gently pulled her round and deposited her in her chair at the kitchen table, and then came back to the kitchen counter to take over the plates of breakfast, brioche French toast with mixed berries and maple syrup, one of the kids' favourites.

"Yum! Thanks Mum!" Joe exclaimed, much happier once he had food in front of him. He only just remembered to swallow before he spoke.

"You're welcome, kiddo." I replied, kissing him on the forehead before sitting down in front of my own.

"Mummy, when are Uncle Peter, Auntie Charlotte, Gianna, Ant and Bobby coming?" Meli asked, picking out her strawberries and putting them to one side of the plate. They were her favourite and she liked to save them until the end.

"They're getting here in time for lunch, honeybun." I told her. Their flight lands at midday. Daddy's going to get them whilst Gamma Esme and Gampa Carlisle take you all swimming." Edward and I, along with Carlisle and Esme, took the kids swimming at the local pool almost every Saturday morning. However today, I needed to get the house ready.

"I wanna see Nana Renee and Grandpa Charlie!" Nessie added.

"They're coming too, munchkin. The big truck left their house an hour ago, at 8 o'clock. They should be here by supper-time." Edward told her.

My parents had retired a year ago and after much debate, made the decision to move from Southampton to Leeds, because they were spending virtually all their time up here or in Rome, where they now owned an apartment in the same building as mine. Renee and Charlie's Leeds residence was going to be my little mews house, the one I bought when I first moved to Leeds. Peter and Charlotte were coming over to Leeds for ten days for their summer holiday, with their kids in tow. Gianna was now twelve, Anthony, who was known as Ant or Anto, was nine, and little Roberto, Bobby, was nearly five.

"It's gonna be epic!" Joe said. He and Ant had been chatting on Skype, planning water-gun fights, computer game battles and football matches. The boys were very close friends as well as cousins. "Especially when Alex, Jared, Carter, Jack and Pad get involved."

Joe and Ant, along with Jackson, Alice and Jasper's oldest, who was nine like Ant, Pad and Carter, who was ten, were a quintet of mischief and madness when they got together. They looked up to Angela's twins Alex and Jared who were twelve.

"Can Auntie Rosie and Uncle Em bring the babies again? They're so cute!" Meli asked. "Can we phone them and see if they're free too! Please?"

"Sorry, honeybun. Uncle Em's working this weekend so they can't come up from London. But we'll see them soon." Edward replied whilst helping Nessie cut up her French toast into bite-size pieces.

"Aww..." she and Nessie chorused.

Rosalie and Emmett had gotten married two years after us, and started trying for kids straight away. Unfortunately, they were unable to conceive naturally. It put quite a strain on their marriage and they even separated for a couple of months. They soon realised that they couldn't live without each other and decided to try IVF, and if that failed, they would adopt. On their last cycle of IVF, they finally conceived, and had triplets! Kellan and Nicholas were identical twin boys, whilst Ashley was the only girl. They were eighteen months old and absolutely delightful. Kellan and Nicky were stocky, sandy-haired and jovial little boys, whilst Ashley was reserved, with darker brown curls and the most intense violet-blue eyes. Our kids loved the babies, and played with them for hours.

We were just clearing up the breakfast things when our house phone rang. Before I could get to the phone, Meli picked it up.

"Hello?" she said in her sweet voice. Her button nose crinkled a little as she listened to the person on the other end. "Oh, _buon giorno Signora. Prendo mia mamma." _She added, before passing the phone to me.

Meli had picked up Italian when we were in Rome for a couple of weeks just after Easter, when Edward was guest lecturing at Rome Sapienza University and I was helping Marcus on a deal. She had proved to be a natural when it came to the language, and worked with Charlotte weekly over Skype to continue her learning.

"_Ciao. _Isabella Cullen_."_

"_Ciao, Signora Cullen." _It was one of Marcus's many assistants, frantically apologising for calling on a Saturday but telling me that Marcus needed to speak to me urgently.

"_Si, naturalmente."_ Edward was looking at me curiously. I shrugged and whispered. "It's Marcus's assistant. Says it's urgent."

"Isabella?" Marcus sighed into the phone.

"Hello, Marcus. Everything OK?"

"Not really." He replied in a croaky voice. "It's Aro. He..._mi fratello..._he is gone."

"Marcus, what do you mean? Surely he's not..."

"_Si._ He has gone. He died in his sleep the night before last. A heart attack, they say."

"Oh no, Aro! God. Marcus! I'm so sorry!" I looked at Edward, who became ashen as he realised what had happened. "Was he ill, or...?"

"He had some heart disease, but he seemed well."

"Is there anything you need us to do?"

"Will you come to Roma? We are having a private family funeral early next week, but a memorial service in two weeks' time followed by a reading of Aro's will and urgent partners' meeting. We need you and Edward to be there."

"Of course. Edward and I will come to the memorial, and the meetings that follow."

"_Grazie. Grazie mille, Isabella."_

-cc-

Rome was uncharacteristically grey on the day of Aro's memorial service. Edward was quiet and clutched my hand as we walked in. Aro had been a good mentor to Edward. He had seen his talent and passion for the law at a time when Edward was still very unsure of himself. He believed in Edward's idea for the law school and threw his support behind it, and it had become a huge success.

The memorial service was attended by hundreds of colleagues, friends and family members, and even some of Aro's clients. It was a sombre affair at first but towards the end, there was more focus on Aro's quirky personality and people shared funny stories related to his idiosyncrasies.

Lunch was laid on in Marcus's luxury apartment near St Peter's Square. Afterwards, all the partners, junior and senior, and the other members of the Volturi family, made their way to the VDI Roma offices for the urgent partners' meeting. Marcus was clearly still reeling from his brother's death. He was pale, had lost weight and his eyes were rimmed red. Nevertheless he led the meeting.

" My dear friends, thank you for coming on such short notice. Aro was very clear that, in the event of his death, I assemble you all. Firstly we must read the _testamento, _Aro's will. Then we must discuss the future of the firm."

Marcus proceeded to read out a long list of Aro's wishes for his properties, wealth and treasured possessions. Edward and I sat towards the back, not expecting this part of the meeting to concern us. Edward had taken my hand into his lap and was drawing little circles on my palm with his thumb or playing with my wedding band; I think it was as soothing for him as it was for me.

"...finally, Aro would like to leave his beloved amber and gold antique cufflinks to his protégé and dear young friend Edward Cullen, and the matching amulet and chain to Isabella Cullen."

"Sorry? Aro's leaving us something?" Edward stuttered in surprise.

Suddenly the whole room was looking at us. The senior partners were looking at us in awe and surprise, even Tanya Denali, whilst Jane and Alec Volturi were shooting daggers at us. I couldn't understand why. He had left nearly everyone else in the room items likely to be far more valuable than those he had left us.

"_Si._" Marcus gestured to one of his many personal assistants, who walked towards us and gave us each a jewellery box. We opened them together. Edward's cufflinks were smooth ovals of dark amber surrounded by intricate twisted strands of gold. Mine was a larger single smooth oval of a similar shade of amber, similarly surrounded by gold twists, on a thick twisted rope of gold, which would enable the amulet to sit just below the base of my throat. Both sets of jewellery were ancient and priceless. Our mouths dropped open.

"Oh my word, _Signore. _They are beautiful. I can't believe Aro would be so generous._" _I exclaimed.

Marcus nodded and half-smiled at our response, the first time he had done that all day. He dismissed the assistants and the non-lawyer members of the Volturi family, and asked all of us to move forward. He stood at the front of the room along with Liam, Siobhan and Sasha Denali.

"Now my dear partners, the senior ones amongst us have been in discussions about which of the juniors we would like to promote to senior partner. Obviously it is not a decision we can take lightly. In order to secure the future and good reputation of the firm, we must choose wisely.

"Unlike the decision to promote to junior partnership, the final decisions about who to promote to senior partnership belong to the founding partners. We take into account opinions of the other senior partners but the final decision must be a unanimous decision across the founders."

"Aro was the only one who was undecided at the Annual General Meeting in Rio." Liam stated. "The rest of us were clear on whom we wanted to promote, but Aro wanted to take his time over the decision. A decision he clearly made before his death, even though we did not find out until after he passed."

Suddenly everyone was looking at Edward and me again. It dawned on me that the jewellery Aro had left us meant a lot more than his affection for us.

"Aro decided that he agreed with the rest of us. With all the founding partners and all the senior partners." Sasha told us.

"We considered which junior partners had made the biggest commitments, shown the most dedication and raised the profile of the firm most positively, as well as who had made the firm the most money." Siobhan continued.

"Aro agreed that we should offer senior partnerships to Edward and Isabella Cullen..." Marcus said, stepping forward. "...thus changing the name of the firm to Volturi, Denali, Ireland and Cullen."

"Senior partners? _Named_ senior partners? Both of us?" Edward checked, as shocked as I was.

"Yes Edward. Between the near-exponential growth of the Industry Division and the rise and rise of VDI Law School, you and Bella have done more for this firm in your time with us than we could ever have imagined, and yet you are still young, fresh and dynamic." Marcus replied. "Aro's passing reminds us that life is finite. All of us founders are over 60. I am over 70. We need to bring forth our most spectacular talent and enable you to take the firm onwards and upwards."

"Thank you _Signore._"

"So you will accept?"

Unlike when we were offered the junior partnership, I felt completely ready for this promotion. Our family was complete. Our beautiful and smart children were all in full-time school or pre-school, and were thriving. We had the perfect work-life balance thanks to our family and friends helping us out. Edward and I fell more and more in love every day.

I had a clear vision of how I wanted the Industry Division to grow. Edward was in complete control of VDL Law School and like me, had a clear and robust expansion plan. We both loved our work. To be named partners, the first additions to the firm's name in its history, at the age of 40, were the pinnacles of our ambitions.

Edward and I looked at each other and smiled as we realised that our thoughts were similar.

"Absolutely, yes!"

"Most definitely." Edward echoed.

Marcus broke out into a beaming smile.

"This makes me so happy. It would have made Aro so happy. Maybe he is watching from the sky."

Demetri, Marcus's son, who was, interestingly enough, now married to Heidi, Edward's ex, got up to comfort his father with a hug. I instantly got up to do the same and so did Edward.

"We're so happy to receive this honour." I told him. Edward nodded his agreement.

"Bella, Liam and I are relinquishing control of the Industry Division in the UK and Ireland to you. " Siobhan said as we sat back down. "We're intending to reduce our commitments and retire within the next few years. We're also pulling out of Leeds."

"Yes, and Aro was intending to hand over control of the Academic Law Division to you, Edward." Marcus added.

"I intend to continue his vision, _Signore."_ Edward replied.

"Tsk. You are senior partners now. We are like family. That is what Aro's gift means. You both must call me Marcus."

"OK, Marcus!"

"Good. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our newest senior partners, Edward and Isabella Cullen!"

The room broke out into applause. Edward stood up, pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arms around me before kissing me soundly.

"Perfection. Our lives are perfection. Dreams come true." He whispered.

My wonderful husband could not have been more right. We had everything in the world we could possibly need, and more than we ever wanted. With the achievement of senior partnerships, every single ambition we had had come to fruition. All that, and we shared the greatest, deepest, truest love imaginable.

Joy soared through me and tears escaped from my eyes. As Edward wiped them away with his thumbs, I whispered back,

"It started with you."

_Fin_

-cc-

**AN: Thank you so much for reading. I may post an outtake in the future, but it won't be for a while. **

**If you haven't already, please check out my other story, 'Just One Night.' It's the continuation of the one-shot I wrote for the Taste of The Forbidden Anonymous Contest a little while ago, which got an Honourable Mention. **


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